After the Storm
by noa08
Summary: Jack and Kate, with the help of Sawyer, struggle to survive as captives. Jate. Skatefriendship. Takes place after season 2 finale.
1. Chapter 1

**After the Storm**

by Noa08

**AN:** This just sort of... happened. And I'm almost 99 percent sure about where I want this to go. So hang in there with me and I will love you forever :D

**Warnings:** Season 2 spoilers! Massive amounts of Jate, Sawyer/Kate Friendship and some squeemish scenes for those who don't like blood etc. I've been watching a lot of House lately, so if Jack gets overly doctor-ish, that's why.

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The first thing Kate realized upon opening her eyes was that she was in the dark. The second was that she was sore and the third was that she had no idea where she was. 

Rolling over onto her side, She winced as her arm pressed against the cold cement floor. It was definitely bruised. She inhaled a shaky breath and mustered up as much strength as she could. With a grunt, she pushed herself up into a sitting position and to her relief, found a wall she could lean against.

Her legs splayed out in front of her, she leaned her head back and tried to get a better view of the room she was in. At least, she was very sure it was a room. She couldn't tell. Darkness invaded her senses completely. She couldn't see, didn't know what she was touching, what she was feeling. She didn't even know if she was okay.

Steadying a shaking hand, she felt around, pressing fingers against flesh and bone. Nothing felt broken, nothing felt like it was bleeding. A slight bump on her forehead indicated how she got where she was without knowing when or why. Her wrists were sticky and raw; rope burns . . . she had been dragged. That would also explain why her arm fell at a funny angle and why she couldn't move it. She'd never had a dislocated shoulder, but as the pain hit her full force, she was thankful she never did.

With a gasp, she reached for her left arm and set it down gingerly on her lap. Closing her eyes against the blackness that surrounded her, Kate breathed in again. The thick, hospital smell of disinfectant greeted her nostrils and almost made her choke.

Kate pleaded with her spinning head to give her answers. Where was she? How long had she been out? What the hell happened? Where was Sawyer? Where was Jack?

_Jack. _

Kate remembered being on the pier. She remembered the taste of the cloth-made gag in her mouth. She remembered the ache in her knees and the rush of blood to her head when she realized how screwed the three of them were. The bittersweet memory of Jack looking at her so intently, unwavering, washed over her and Kate shivered.

She must be in the hatch that the Others lived in. Or . . . something. Her head was so foggy. She couldn't drown out her mixing thoughts, couldn't stop them rushing together behind closed eyes. What seemed like hours passed, though it could have only been minutes and exhaustion finally won over.

Kate was asleep.

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Loud footsteps and a glaring yellow light that shone into her small room woke Kate up. She didn't know how long she slept, but her legs were numb from where circulation had been cut off to the area. It must have been a long time. 

The footsteps grew louder and Kate blinked a few times, clearing her blurry eyes against the harsh brightness. She could see the room she was in now. A small closet-like space, the walls were a plain white and the light was coming from a small square of glass in the only door to the room.

A shadow stopped in front of the window, blocking out the light and Kate squinted to see any sort of facial feature. A click and a rattle of keys slipping into a lock, and the door handle turned. Kate jumped and as fast as she could, she stood up, clutching her arm to her side. She tried to make herself look fierce but only succeeded in looking scared.

The door swung open and light filled the room. Kate blinked hard against the light.

"-Take her down the hall. Klugh's waiting." A young girl's voice outside the door spoke, and as Kate's eyes adjusted, she saw a bulky man move forward to her.

"C'mere." The man said gruffly and reached out to Kate. Only having enough time to stumble backwards, Kate raised an arm to prepare for a strike, but instead he grabbed her good arm and yanked her toward the door.

Finally finding her voice, Kate yipped, "No!"

"God dammit! She's feisty, Alex." The man growled as he pushed Kate to the door. Kate moved as much as she could, refusing to stay still, knowing it might be her only chance at survival.

A young girl poked her head around the corner and rolled her eyes. "That's not my fault, _Neil_."

With a hard shove, her captor sent Kate into the door frame and her face was the first to collide with the cold steel. She gasped and forced herself not to cry. She couldn't. Not in front of these people. It would be a sign of weakness, something she couldn't afford to let them see.

"Hey!" Alex grabbed Kate by the shoulder to steady the older woman. "Watch it! She's still a person." The girl growled at Neil and turned Kate's face to get a better look at the new bruise forming on her cheek.

"That's why you're no good at this Alex," he heaved a sigh and grabbed Kate by the shoulders again. "You get too attached to these damn people." Neil shook his head and pushed Kate out the door. Kate watched the girl frown at her older companion as they moved past her down the hall.

Her feet were stumbling and she could barely stand up, and every once and a while Alex would steady Kate in Neil's grasp. They passed doors and doors, all with small square windows letting only a bit of light through. It reminded Kate of a mental institution she had seen in a movie once. Not surprisingly, the thought didn't comfort her.

A few seconds later, they turned a corner and they were in a large, open room. A table was in the center and a few steel cabinets were scattered around the room, along with several spot lights, all aimed at the table.

The tall, black woman from the pier was there and she turned around the moment they entered the room. Kate's eyes widened as she realized what exactly this was: a crude excuse for a medical examination room.

Instinct finally caught up to her and Kate's eyes darted around the room. No exits, except for the one she just came through. No windows as they were underground, just like all the other bunkers. She twisted a bit in the man's grasp and he grunted.

"She won't stop moving, Bea," Neil looked to the woman pointedly, and as if to prove his point, Kate squirmed out of his grasp and tried to run for the door behind them. She didn't make it far before Alex and Neil were on her. A glimpse of a slumped form tied to a chair in the far corner of the room caught Kate's eye as Alex grabbed her dislocated shoulder.

"Sawyer!" Kate cried out, both in pain and in recognition. Sawyer didn't move, his shoulders slumped and his arms tied behind his back. He was unconscious.

A loud clatter echoed in the room, and everyone turned their head to the sound of it. Kate noticed someone else, also tied to a chair in the opposite end of the room.

Jack.

His eyes were wide as if he had just woken to the sound of Kate's cry and he leaned forward in the chair, his arms straining against the ropes that held him there. "Kate!" He yelled out, his voice harsh and dry, like he had been yelling for a long time.

"Jack!" Kate pulled against Alex and Neil to no avail. With a whimper, she gave up and looked to Jack with tears in her eyes.

Bea sighed, ignoring the outburst. She motioned for the man to bring her closer to the table. "We're just going to have to sedate her. I can't do the physical examination if she's going to be all over the place."

"No!" Jack cried out and pulled against the ropes that held him to the chair. No one heard him, except for Kate. Neil pushed her forward and with Alex's help, they had Kate laid out on the cold metal table.

Kate refused to stop moving. With every ounce of strength she had left, she kicked and struggled against them. Neil wondered out loud if they would need another person. Bea called out for Pickett and a moment later, another large man walked into Kate's upside-down view.

"We need to sedate her," Bea looked annoyed by the fact.

Pickett chuckled and Kate watched as he moved to a cabinet and opened the doors, revealing a plethora of medical paraphernalia. Alex and Neil now had her held down at the shoulders and the ankles and Kate winced as she pushed up against their force. She couldn't see Jack, but she could hear him repeating over and over to her that it would be okay, that he would get them out of there. She desperately wanted to believe him.

Pickett returned into Kate's line of sight and raised a vial and a syringe. He pushed the needle into the vial and she watched as the clear liquid filled the barrel. A sick feeling passed over Kate and she stilled, watching.

Pickett smiled down at her then and passed the empty vial to Bea. In one swift move, he had Kate's arm in his hand. Kate screamed and pulled away, managing to throw Neil off guard enough that she sat up. Alex held tight onto her ankles and she tried to kick the girl off, all the while beating at Neil with her good arm.

"No!" Kate yelled as Pickett reached for her arm again. Bea shook her head and stood off to the side of the group, watching as the entire scene unfolded.

"Stick her, Pickett!" Neil shouted.

"I'm trying, aren't I?" Pickett sneered back, making another grab for Kate.

Jack was yelling, his voice becoming louder over the din of Kate's cries and Neil's aggravated shouts. "Let her go!" He pleaded, though no one was listening. "You can keep me, just, please, _let her go_!" Kate had never heard Jack sound so desperate. It scared her.

Kate grunted as Pickett finally grabbed hold of her dislocated arm. "Screw you!" She spat out, unable to move her arm out of his grasp.

"Language, missy!" Pickett grinned and stuck the needle into her arm, not even bothering to find a vein.

Kate gasped in surprise at the sudden, cold metal of the needle in her arm. Her face froze in a silent cry as the man pressed down on the needle's plunger. Kate's eyes found Jack's as she felt the liquid infiltrate her bloodstream. Tears spilled over onto her pale cheeks and she felt her body give itself over to the medicine.

"That's better." Neil laughed and dropped Kate back onto the table with a thud.

Alex shot him a glare as she let go of Kate's legs. "Shut up."

Neil glared back and opened his mouth to fire back. A raspy gasp interrupted him and the four Others looked down at their patient lying on the table. Kate's eyes were wide open and she struggled for air. Unable to lift her arms to signal that she couldn't breathe, she whimpered and cried, body shaking uncontrollably.

"Kate!" Jack yelled out to her. "Kate!" Again, he pulled at his ropes. "Untie me!"

Bea moved forward to Kate and reached out to feel her pulse. Neil watched in horror and Pickett backed away from the table, bumping into a lamp. Alex panicked, "Is she supposed to do that!" she cried, pointing a finger at the struggling Kate.

Jack rocked his chair and slammed it down on the cement, garnering the attention of the group. "She's going into anaphylaxis! Do you even know what you're doing!" He screamed at them, eyes darkening.

Bea hesitated, unsure of what to do, before pointing over to Jack. "Untie him! Quickly!"

Neil rushed over and hours seemed to pass before the roped had been loosened enough for Jack to stand up out of them. He rushed over to Kate's shaking form, and felt for her pulse, pressing against her neck.

"She's losing blood pressure," he said out loud, more for his sake than anyone else's. Kate looked at Jack, her eyes pleading with him to save her. Jack caught her stare and with what he hoped was a reassuring smile, he told her he would.

"You!" He looked to Pickett. "I need epinephrine! Do you have any?"

Pickett nodded and backed into the cabinet, opening the doors again. He scanned labels and threw vials aside, looking for the right one that Jack needed.

Jack leaned down and pinching her nose, he blew a breath of air into Kate's mouth, watching her chest for any movement. When there was none, he yelled over his shoulder to Alex. "Go find me a pen!"

Alex nodded and ran off, tearing out of the room.

Kate grasped at Jack's shirt as she struggled to breathe. "Don't worry honey," He told her and pushed her hair out of her eyes. If it was possible, Kate looked slightly relieved at those words.

Glancing up, Jack saw a scalpel on a nearby tray. He grabbed it and looked back to Kate. Her eyes were closed now, consciousness escaping her. "Dammit!" He yelled. "Kate!"

Alex returned and handed him the pen she had found. Jack took it and ripped the ink cartridge out with his teeth, spitting it onto the floor. He threw the empty pen down onto the table next to Kate and with a silent prayer, he tilted her head back and he counted.

_One._

Jack found the small indent in the center of Kate's neck, holding his fingers there as a place marker, he reached for the scalpel.

_Two_.

With a steady hand, he made a small incision a half inch wide from left to right where his fingers had been. Blood spilled out around the wound and for the first time, the sight of it made Jack sick.

_Three_.

His hand shaking now, he pinched the cut until there was room to fit the pen.

_Four_.

Grabbing the pen, he slid it into Kate's throat until it was almost an inch deep.

_Five_.

Jack closed his mouth over the open end and blew two quick breaths into the tube. Watching Kate's chest again, this time rising and falling with each puff of air, he waited five long seconds and then breathed into the tube again. He did this over and over again, pausing to check her pulse and finding it weak.

Jack pleaded with her still form to move, for her chest to rise on it's own, for her eyes to open and look at him.

All he needed her to do was breathe.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: **Thank you for all the awesome reviews! I was kind of shocked actually. You all rock:-D

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**Chapter two**

Jack pleaded with her still form to move, for her chest to rise on it's own, for her eyes to open and look at him.

All he needed her to do was breathe.

Minutes passed and Jack continued to give her his breath. When he paused to check her pulse once more, her eyes shot open and she gasped, inhaling on her own. Tears filled her eyes and spilled over onto her cheeks once again, and Jack let out a heavy breath and collapsed against her, her good hand finding his head as he rested it at her side.

"Epinephrine?" Jack asked weakly, looking over to where Bea and Pickett huddled, watching him. Pickett looked down in his hands to discover a small vial he didn't seem to realize he had. Without a word, he handed it to Jack.

Picking up a syringe off the medical tray, Jack loaded the needle with the medicine and finding her vein, injected Kate with the adrenaline. Her body visibly relaxed for him and after a few minutes, she was breathing regularly again. She couldn't speak, but her eyes thanked him a thousand times over and Jack smiled, thankful himself that she was okay.

Bea cleared her throat, interrupting the moment. Jack looked to her, wondering if she was going to give him a reason for him not to hold her responsible. When she didn't say anything, Jack spoke instead.

"She had an allergic reaction to whatever it was that _you _gave her." He shot a pointed look at Pickett. The other man looked away, guilty.

Bea held up her hands. "That's not his, nor our fault. We gave her the same sedative that we gave to you and James." She threw a glance over her shoulder to Sawyer's still hunched form.

Kate grabbed Jack's shirt again and tugged at the hem gently, getting his attention. Her fingers felt around her open throat in question and her eyes widened as she started to panic. Jack shook his head and bent down again to look at her. "It's going to help you to breathe until the epinephrine kicks in." Kate just closed her eyes.

Jack glared at Bea. "Maybe . . . now wouldn't be such a good time for the examination." She said, slowly, evenly.

"Maybe." Jack sneered back. He stood up again and looked hard at Miss Klugh. "Kate's going to need _proper _medical care if you want her to heal fast. Which I think you do." Bea broke Jack's stare and looked anywhere but at him and Kate.

Finally, she spoke. "She can stay with you in your room until she's physically able to receive testing."

"I want all the necessities. Blankets, food . . . " Jack set his jaw. He wasn't backing down.

Bea bit her lip. "I'll have to talk it ov-"

"No. I want your word. Now."

"Okay. Yes." Bea sighed and waved her hand as Pickett opened his mouth to protest. She wasn't supposed to make decisions like this without approval.

Jack nodded his head slowly and glanced back down at Kate, whose eyes were now closed, blocking out the commotion of the room.

Another sigh, and Bea motioned to Alex and Neil. "Take Jack and Kate back to the room." The two lackeys moved to escort Jack out of the room but he held up his hands, stopping them. He looked back down at Kate's still form.

Jack ran a hand over Kate's forehead, causing her to open her eyes. He leaned down and spoke to her in hushed tones. "I have to take the tube out now," Her eyes widened and then relaxed again as she seemed to remember that it was Jack who was looking after her. He reached over and grabbed a pad of gauze and surgical tape off the tray and with a murmured apology to Kate, he swiftly removed the pen in her throat, replacing it with the gauze. Throwing the pen down onto the ground by his feet, he applied pressure to the gauze and managed to tape it up with his other hand.

He smiled down at her and slid an arm under her shoulders. "Let's get you up."

Kate swung her legs over the side of the table with great discomfort that was clearly written on her face. She hissed as her dislocated shoulder felt the pull of gravity once again and she clutched at it. Jack noticed and moved his hand to keep her shoulder from moving too much.

Alex and Neil were on them again in no time, one on either side of the couple. Jack shot what he hoped was a menacing look over his shoulder back to Bea. This wasn't over between them.

They were almost at the door and Jack stopped walking as he caught sight of Sawyer in the corner, still unconscious. He turned both himself and Kate around and he nodded his head in Sawyer's direction. "I want to personally examine Sawyer when he wakes up."

"No! No way, Bea . . . " Pickett argued, slamming the cabinet doors shut. Bea ignored him.

She nodded at Jack and Pickett huffed, walking over to Sawyer and untying his restraints. He jerked the lifeless form up and out of the chair, and threw him over his shoulder. With one last look of annoyance at Bea, Pickett headed down the hallway. Neil turned Jack and Kate back around and the two captives were escorted back down the hallway to Jack's tiny space of a room.

* * *

Kate woke with a start. A vague sense of deja vu washed over her and she realized that she was still in the same building, the same bunker, the same room . . . But this time, there was light; candlelight, to be more exact. As her eyes adjusted to the flickering light, she blinked a few times and tried to sit up only to find that she was weighted down by a heavy wool blanket. 

"Hey you," Jack came into her view, and Kate smiled, relieved she wasn't alone again. She opened her mouth to return the greeting, but found her voice gone, replaced by a sharp pain instead. Her hand flew to her throat, where she found the square, gauze bandage. The memory of the examination room came rushing back to her all too well, and Kate squeezed her eyes shut, trying to forget it all.

"I know, I'm sorry," Jack soothed her. "You weren't breathing. Your throat had closed up and I had no choice." For a brief second, Kate almost thought she saw Jack's tear up as he said this. He ran a hand over her forehead just like before, and she found herself enjoying the action, something she could get used to. She nodded, assuring him that she understood.

"How do you feel?" He asked. Kate winced and shook her head.

Jack smiled softly down at her and turned to reach behind him. "Do you think you could drink something?"

Kate nodded and again tried to sit up. Jack moved the blanket down to her waist and slid a hand under her to support her back. Her head spun and her hand shot out to Jack's arm for balance. White spots dotted Kate's vision and for a split second she thought she might get sick.

"Kate," She heard Jack saying her name over and over again over the blood rushing in her ears. Taking a deep breath she blinked a few times and the moment of vertigo passed. Kate swallowed hard and glanced at Jack, who looked like was going to have a heart attack any minute. She just smiled and shook her head slowly.

Jack lifted a bottle of water up into Kate's view and she nodded, opening her mouth. Water hit her tongue, feeling like pure heaven, and she could feel her body soaking up the needed moisture almost instantly.

Just as she was about to take another sip, Jack moved the bottle away from her. Kate managed to make a small whimper in protest, but he shook his head.

"Not so much, so fast. You're dehydrated, Kate."

When she pouted, Jack breathed a laugh. "Cute," he said, and put the bottle down next to him. "Are you hungry? They left us some food . . . " He looked down to his left, to a plate that consisted of a chunk of bread and an unidentifiable lump of what looked like meat. Kate's stomach turned at the sight of it, and made a noise that sounded very much like "Ew."

Jack laughed again and pushed the plate into a corner, along with the bottle of water. "I'll take that as a no, then."

Kate shivered suddenly as a chill hit her. The room was freezing and the cement floor and walls were not helping. Jack noticed, and he laid her back down, pulling the blanket up and around her shoulders, making her comfortable.

When he was sure she was as content as possible, he stretched out next to her and leaned on his forearms so he could continue to talk to her and see her reactions. He knew that she wouldn't be talking anytime soon.

"I set your arm when you were sleeping," he chuckled. "You're quite the heavy sleeper, apparently." Kate grinned.

"It feels okay?" Jack glanced at where Kate hugged her damaged arm against her chest. She mouthed the word _better_, taking the word slowly so Jack could understand.

Silence took hold of Jack suddenly and Kate used this time to watch him. He closed his eyes and ran a hand down his face. He looked as if he hadn't slept since the night they found Desmond and his boat, and if Kate knew Jack at all, he probably didn't sleep. All she wanted to do was comfort him, tell him it would be okay, like he had told her. But she was injured, sick, and he had to take care of her instead. She was suddenly angry at herself for being so incapable.

Jack interrupted her thoughts, sighing. "I haven't seen Sawyer since yesterday before they locked us in here." Kate's eyes widened and Jack continued, not wanting to worry her any more than she already was. "He seemed okay. Out of it, but okay. He's probably fine." He added quickly. She seemed to relax a bit at the thought.

"And I have no idea where we are." Jack sounded frustrated. "The best I can tell, is that we're somewhere on the North side of the island, about a day and a half from camp. That pier had to have been a day and a half . . . but after they put those bags over our heads? I have no idea where we are." He repeated, angry with himself.

Kate reached out a comforting hand and placed it on his arm. "The only reason I can think of why they want us, is . . . " he paused, frowning. "No, I have no idea. None of this makes sense Kate!" His voice cracked and he looked like he might break any second. Kate felt his anger, his unbelievable frustration, and she wished she could do something to help ease the weight on his shoulders.

She slid her hand up his arm to his bare shoulder, where his torn tee shirt met ink, and she let her hand pause, skimming over the raised scarring of Jack's tattoo. When he shivered, Kate stopped and looked at him, wondering if the shiver was from her touch or from the temperature in the room. Even in their dire situation, she kind of hoped it was because of her.

Kate threw back the blanket and tapped Jack on the shoulder, giving a slight nod to get closer to her. He paused, and she could see his mind working, thinking that it might not be a good idea to share the same blanket. After a few seconds, when he still hadn't moved, Kate raised her eyebrows expectantly. Cold and Exhaustion won and Jack slid over next to her. With a satisfied smile, Kate tried to throw the blanket back over both of them, but couldn't. Jack grabbed her hand and took the blanket from her.

With a grin, he tucked the blanket under both of them, and chuckled, "I feel like I'm in highschool again, at some friend's house party." Kate breathed a laugh and wiggled closer to him, sharing her body heat. An unexpected nervousness bubbled up from the pit of his stomach at her actions. "A really lame house party . . . " he managed to finish his thought as Kate nuzzled his shoulder, leaning on her good side into him and resting her left arm on his torso. Jack shifted his weight and wrapped his arm around her, careful to avoid her healing shoulder.

"Goodnight . . . " Jack said, feeling her pat his chest in response.

A few minutes passed, and the feeling of Kate's even breath grew hypnotic to Jack. When he was almost sure she was sleeping, he turned his head and kissed her on her forehead, not quite knowing why or how, but blaming it on post traumatic stress instead. She made an audible sigh and Jack smiled. Despite the fact that they were in a cement cell, with no mattress, no pillows, just one blanket between the two of them, he felt so comfortable. When he finally fell asleep, for the first time in a week, Jack dreamed.

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**AN2:** Fluff! I wrote fluff again! Why do I always do that? Hmmm... Maybe because Jack and Kate are just too darn cute? Anyway, let me know what you think! Reviews make me dance (and update faster!) :-D 


	3. Chapter 3

**AN:** Thank you to all of my awesome reviewers:) Sorry this chapter wasn't up as soon as it should have been. For one, it was a pain to write (transition chapters usually are for me) and it's been a pain to upload as my internet connection keeps shutting off on me at the most inopportune times.

_SonicH20_ - Kate's gonna be just fine. The island helps along the healing process, remember? She'll be back to her usual self in no time. And as for the Others being pushovers... I don't want to make them too mean too soon, y'know?

_Dogwood Flowers_ - JATEFLUFF! Hey, you should write some! Hehehe! I'll give you a chocolate covered Jack if you do:-)

_MissFantabulous_ - You just wanted to see me dance, didn't you:-D

_nikki-da-latina_ - I hope you find that book! Keep checking used book stores, maybe? And don't worry, I won't be abandoning Wicked Games, I just needed some time away from it to sate my muse. I'll post more of it soon, but in the meantime, I'm glad you're liking this one!

_yas-m_ - here's the update you wanted, hon!

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**Chapter three **

_A few minutes passed, and the feeling of Kate's even breath grew hypnotic to Jack. When he was almost sure she was sleeping, he turned his head and kissed her on her forehead, not quite knowing why or how, but blaming it on post traumatic stress instead. She made an audible sigh and Jack smiled. Despite the fact that they were in a cement cell, with no mattress, no pillows, just one blanket between the two of them, he felt so comfortable. When he finally fell asleep, for the first time in a week, Jack dreamed._

Restless scenes from the past week replayed in Jack's mind and people blended and blurred together until he couldn't understand anything behind what he was seeing anymore, when finally the landscape switched once more. He was on Desmond's yacht again, but this time he was alone. It was dark but the moon and stars were out, moving quickly in their constellations.

Jack leaned against the rails of the deck, looking out toward the beach, their camp. He could see campfires burning on the sand, distant figures moving from tent to tent, settling in for the night. Hands rested on his back and Jack turned to see Kate standing next to him, the light escaping from the open hatch heading down below deck illuminating her from behind.

Kate smiled and Jack noticed that she was wearing the same clothes she had been wearing when they fell asleep earlier that night. Her blue shirt was spattered with her own blood and her body was bruised and battered, but she never stopped smiling. Jack felt himself return the smile, slowly at first. She looked back out to the beach and the short distance of ocean separating them from their friends. Jack followed her gaze, a deep sense of sadness taking over. "We'll find our way back," he heard her murmur. He turned to look at her, but in that instant, he opened his eyes instead.

The candle in the room had burned out, the wax was nothing more than a hard puddle. Jack blinked a few times to adjust to the darkness, his head spinning. Images from his dreams came to him in broken pieces, blurring together until the boat and Kate came rushing back to him. Jack smiled at the clear memory.

He didn't know what time it was, but Kate was still sleeping, the stress of the last two days taking its toll on her body. It was good. Something she needed. Jack knew that with lots of rest and minimal movement, and she would be fine in no time. He also knew that the more she slept, the less likely she would worry about where they were and if they were ever getting home. He decided he would let himself worry enough for both of them.

Kate groaned and rolled closer into Jack, her head snuggling down into his chest. Placing an arm behind his head, he took in a deep breath and closed his eyes, trying to get back to sleep.

On and off Jack dozed, listening to the constant lull of Kate's breathing and wishing that he knew more about where they were, enough that he could come up with a plan, some strategy to get her out of here.

Some time later, the light came on from the hallway, shining into the room, and Jack raised a hand against it. Footsteps sounded a second later and trying not to jostle Kate too much, Jack sat up and looked to the door.

Keys turned in the lock and the door clicked open, illuminating the room in a bright florescent light. Shadows cast themselves into the room, and Jack tried to see who was there. Glancing down at the woman still in his arms, he was amazed that Kate could sleep though this. Then again, he had popped her shoulder back into place without her making a sound the last time she was asleep, so who really knew what she could sleep through?

Shuffling echoed off the walls and then finally a dull light flickered on in the small room. Henry Gale walked into the room, the heavy metal door closing behind him with a thud. He had changed his clothes after they had arrived, his green polo tee shirt and khakis contrasting with his still bruised face.

Jack felt Kate stiffen at his side and he knew she was awake. Without looking at her, keeping his eyes on Henry, Jack slipped an arm around Kate's waist as she sat up, a gesture he hoped would serve to reassure her.

Henry smiled his thin smile as he looked down on them. They were still on the floor, the blanket pooling around their waists. Jack moved to stand up but Henry put up a hand to stop him. "No, no . . . no need to get up. I only hope I didn't interrupt anything," he held his gaze on Jack, a hint of malevolence flashing through his eyes, teasing.

"I just wanted to inform you of some of our house rules and regulations," Henry went on, sliding his stare over to Kate. She never met his gaze and instead, kept her eyes fixed to the floor. "First of all, I am deeply sorry about what happened to you, Kate. It was unnecessary and I am certain that under Jack's care, you'll make a full recovery." He said this with a slight patronizing tone, almost as if he were reciting the words to her. He could tell he was getting to her, working his way under her skin, and he smirked when she still wouldn't look at him.

"We're going to be keeping the three of you here until . . . " Henry trailed off as he started to walk around them, never taking his eyes off them. "Well, until we no longer have a use for you. We'll give you the basic necessities, no more, no less: Food, water, access to the bathroom, the shower. And in return, we'll be running some tests."

Kate's eyes widened and Jack shook his head in disbelief. "Or you could let us go."

Henry laughed. "Oh, I don't think so," he stopped circling and crouched down in front of Jack. "You see, Jack, you treated me so well when I was in your _hatch_ . . . I just want to show you the same hospitality that I received. Think of it as my gratitude to you." His face was cold as he said this, hatred passing slowly through his features.

"You asshole!" Jack spat and made a grab for Henry.

"Now, now Jack. No name-calling. We're still friends aren't we?" Henry chuckled and stood up out of Jack's grasp. Jack glared at the small man. He should've let Sayid finish the job when he had the chance.

Jack felt Kate slide her hand over his where it sat on her waist, and as she gave it a gentle squeeze, Jack looked back to Henry. "Where's Sawyer?"

"Oh he's fine. In fact, he's right outside this door right now, waiting for us to finish our little talk." Henry pointed to the door where several shadows darkened the window. Kate's head shot up at his words, looking to the window, trying to catch a glimpse of Sawyer.

"Now, do we have a deal?" Henry asked.

When Jack didn't say anything, didn't nod or even move, Henry raised an eyebrow. "I can just as easily take all the privileges away, Jack, but we're not barbarians here. I'd feel a lot better if you agreed to the terms."

"Let us go." Jack said, his voice low and threatening.

Henry didn't chuckle this time. "You're not going to deprive Kate of her basic needs just to maintain your pride, now are you Jack?"

His words hit home and Jack looked to Kate, her eyes telling him no, to keep fighting for their freedom. He looked back to Henry, his eyes never leaving the smaller man's face.

"You have your deal."

Kate let go of Jack's hand at his words and Henry smiled wide and bowed his head. "Excellent! Well, then, I'll send Sawyer in." As he turned to go, Henry grinned, his face stiff where bruises were still healing. "With time, I think you'll see that we can be willing to compromise, Jack. Kate." He nodded his head to both of them in parting and opened the door, stepping out into the hallway.

Kate glanced up at Jack, a frown on her face. Jack just shrugged at looked away. A few seconds later, Sawyer was pushed into the room, followed closely by Bea. Jack watched as Bea untied Sawyer's bindings. As he took in his surroundings, Sawyer noticed Jack and Kate's location on the floor.

"Well, ain't this just cozy?" Sawyer said, sarcastic.

Jack had to hold Kate back down as she fought to stand up, her arm reaching out to Sawyer. She was trying to say his name, the word coming out in breathy gasps, and Sawyer knelt down in front of her. Jack's hand keeping her steady as she sat up, she threw her good arm around Sawyer's neck hugging him with every bit of strength she had in her.

"Hey, I missed you too, Freckles . . . " he smiled into her hair, hugging her back, a new softness to his voice. Jack frowned and tried not to pay attention to the jealously burning him up. Sawyer was stroking Kate's matted hair as he looked at the damage she had suffered since arriving there. His hand turning her head to get a better look at the deep welt that had formed on her cheek and the square patch of gauze, he threw a questioning look to Jack.

"She had an allergic reaction to a sedative they gave her. Her throat closed up and I had to give her an emergency tracheotomy," Jack explained, even though he knew the word would be lost on Sawyer. "And I don't know how she got the bruise. Her shoulder was dislocated for a while too, but I managed to set it last night." Jack went on, missing Sawyer's concerned look but catching the smile Kate threw at him, another silent thank-you.

From her position at the door, Bea's eyes caught Jack's and he held her stare, an uneasy feeling settling in the pit of his stomach. They wouldn't be getting time alone to discuss anything, any plan for escape, not with her in the room. Bea sent Jack a knowing smile, as if she could read his thoughts. "You have five minutes." She said, crossing her arms.

Jack nodded, turning back to Sawyer. "How do you feel?"

Sawyer shrugged. "I'd be a helluva lot better if you didn't get us into this damn mess," he growled.

Kate closed her eyes, not wanting Sawyer to start a fight. Jack ignored him. "Do you feel dizzy? Nauseous? Any headaches?"

Sawyer held his glare on Jack, but lifted a hand up to his neck. "It still hurts where they shot me and I got a couple of scrapes. But other than that? I'm peachy, Jackass, thanks for asking."

"Fine." Jack threw up his hands, finished with Sawyer.

Bea leaned forward. "If you're done . . . "

"I ain't done!" Sawyer snapped at the older woman before turning back to Kate, watching as she babied her damaged arm. "Why didn't you put that in a sling yet, doc?"

Jack sighed, exasperated. "I haven't exactly found anything I could use yet, _Sawyer_."

"Well, dammit, why didn't you give her your shirt? Or maybe you just don't wanna catch a _cold_." Sawyer frowned matching Jack's tone, as he started to shrug off his own button-down shirt. Kate shook her head in protest but Sawyer had already tied the sleeves around her right shoulder, the body of the shirt cradling her left arm. When she gave him a lopsided grin, Jack's frown deepened. He could have done that . . .

Bea cleared her throat. "I think you're done." She said, looking pointedly at Sawyer. Sawyer mumbled something that made Kate smirk as he stood up. Bea snapped up his wrists none too gently, and tied them with rope.

Kate threw a glance at Jack, tilting her head in Sawyer's direction suddenly. She gave him a pointed look and Jack understood. Clearing his throat, he called out to Sawyer. The other man turned his head and looked at Jack. "I'm glad you're okay, man." He said with a dignified nod.

Sawyer said nothing for a few seconds, almost processing the words. He looked like he was about to insult Jack once more, but with a look from Kate, he rolled his eyes and glanced away. "Yeah, me too . . . "

Bea gave the man a push and with a solemn nod to both Kate and Jack, Bea turned Sawyer back to the door. She knocked once and the door swung open.

As quickly as he had been brought in, Sawyer was escorted out.


	4. Chapter 4

**AN:** This chapter is a little bit... well let's just say that Jack and Kate might be getting some cabin fever. Thank you so much for the reviews andpraise. You guys are baffling me, seriously. I hope you all enjoy this one :-D

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**Chapter Four**

"French toast."

"Huh?"

In the dim light cast by the flickering bare bulb above them, Kate smiled wearily at a confused Jack, his expression clearly contemplating the idea that she had in fact, gone insane.

"French toast." Her voice nagged at her, barely above a whisper, and she strained to get the words out passed the still healing muscle in her throat. "I could really go for some french toast right now."

Throwing her chunk of stale bread down on the floor, she looked up to Jack again from across the room. She sat with her legs drawn up to her chest, her back flush against the cool of the concrete wall. Jack almost grimaced as he picked at his own piece of bread, disgusted by the hard food, loving what Kate was describing.

For three days they had sat in their cell, only let out for five minutes at a time, twice a day, just to be walked down the long hallway to the bathrooms and back. Meals had arrived by a small sliding cabinet in the door, and usually consisted of bread, boar meat and water. For what seemed like hours, the light would be left on, creating just enough yellow light to see by. Every day was turning out to be exactly like the one before it and eventually Jack and Kate lost all sense of time. Kate had slept mostly, only waking for food or simple conversation. Jack took to pacing, pausing once and a while to check up on Kate and to eat.

Kate pushed a knotted curl behind her ear with a sigh. "French toast with maple syrup. _Real_ maple syrup though, the kind that's almost too sweet . . . ỳknow?" A tiny smile played at her lips, letting him know just how much she missed real food.

Jack chuckled at her rambling and pushed himself up, making his way over to where she sat. Her eyes were closed and when he sat down next to her, his arm brushing hers, she rested her head on his shoulder.

"I'm more of a pancakes guy, myself." Jack offered. For the last few days, he'd encouraged anything but talking about their situation, for fear she would break if they did. He couldn't stand to see Kate cry, so he would dance around the issue of their captivity at any chance he got.

"Mmm . . . Banana pancakes would be just . . . heaven right now." Kate agreed. "Or cereal. With orange juice."

Jack looked down at her, bemused. "Instead of milk? Orange juice? Seriously?"

Kate laughed. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't know that was _weird_."

"It is where I come from," Jack nudged her with his elbow playfully. "I'll tell you what," he went on when she had quieted down. "When we get out of here,I promise, I will make you the best breakfast you have ever had in your entire life."

Kate lifted her head suddenly and looked at him, all the laughter gone from her eyes. "Don't." She said, her voice at it's breaking point. She stood up, shakily at first, but Jack helped her the rest of the way. She pushed his hands away and turned on him. "Don't _do_ that."

_Good going_, Jack thought when he realized what he had said. He'd done exactly what he had been trying to avoid.

"Do what?" He asked trying to placate her.

Tears threatened to spill down her cheeks as she shook a finger at him. "Don't you dare try to make promises you can't keep, Jack! Don't!" She sobbed, no longer able to hold back her tears. She covered her face in her hands, and Jack rushed to hold her, wrapping his arms around her. She shook silently in his arms and he had a sudden feeling that they had done this before. What felt like forever ago was really just a few weeks and the familiarity was all too overwhelming for him. This time, instead of pushing her towards too much too fast, Jack let Kate rest against him, until her sobs turned to quiet hiccups.

Rubbing her back, he tried to sooth her. "It's going to be okay, Kate."

"Stop it," she mumbled and pushed him away, making her way to the opposite end of the room where she sat cross legged and wouldn't look at him.

They stayed that way for what seemed like hours, not talking, Jack giving her as much space as she needed and Kate gladly taking it. He watched her as she pretended to sleep, her body never fully relaxing enough for him to believe her.

Two sharp knocks sounded on the door and Kate's eyes shot open. She looked to Jack and then looked to the door. As fast as she could, she reached for her blanket and covered herself up while Jack stood up and walked over to peek out the small window into the hall. He had told her the night before when he saw what a fast recovery she was making, not to let on to the Others how well she was doing. The longer she was sick, the longer they would let Jack care for her.

Kate faked a cough, as she heard the cabinet door slide open. She sighed then, knowing that it was just one of the Others delivering food. Jack looked back to her and shook his head, letting her know that whoever it was had gone.

Kate threw the blanket off her and crawled over to where Jack was crouched in front of the door. He slid the cabinet open on their side, revealing a book, more candles and matches, and a bundle wrapped in fabric that was held together by twine.

Kate reached for the book as Jack grabbed one of the new candles and lit it, placing it next to the old one that was almost burnt out.

"_The Brothers Karamazov_," Kate read the title of the book, her voice husky from crying. "I don't get it."

Jack laughed in disbelief, feeling sick at the game Henry was playing with him. "It's the book Locke gave Henry to read when we kept him in the armory."

"Oh," Kate hefted the heavy book in her hands and set it down next to her, attention already on the little bundle left in the cabinet. She grabbed it and pulled back a corner of the fabric, getting a glimpse of what was inside.

"It's toothpaste!" She exclaimed holding up the package wrapped in twine for Jack to see.

Jack moved over to where she sat, the book completely forgotten and the insignificant item now seeming like the biggest and best gift at Christmastime. Kate was unraveling the twine with great care, examining the parcel inch by inch, checking for any signs of tampering. When she found none, she let the twine go, the package unraveling by itself until it hit the ground by her knees.

"And . . . one toothbrush. For two of us." She looked down at the blue generic toothbrush and then looked back up at Jack with a frown. "How thoughtful of them."

Jack shrugged, "It's not like we're staying at the Beverly Hilton, Kate."

"I know," She said as she watched him pick up the tube of toothpaste. "I don't mind sharing if-"

"I don't mind sharing." Jack reassured her with a smile.

With a small gasp short of a giggle, Kate grabbed the toothpaste out of his hands, never more excited about dental hygiene in her life. She shrugged off the pathetic notion, counting her few blessings instead and reached for their lone bottle of water and the toothbrush. She crawled over to the drain in the middle of the room and lifted the grate off of the small hole.

Jack watched her and by the time he had tried to stifle his laughter, Kate had paused in her brushing and glared at him.

"Don't watch!" She said, her words muffled by the toothbrush hanging out of her mouth. Jack looked away and bit his cheek to try and stop himself.

"Sorry." He apologized, holding up a hand, laughter still shaking him.

Kate continued to brush her teeth, occasionally shooting a look of contempt Jack's way, when finally she finished. Taking a swig of water, she swirled it around in her mouth and just before she leaned over to spit into the drain, Jack's eyes were on her. He was teasing her.

Kate covered a hand over her mouth and spit into the drain, holding back a grin of her own. He could be such an ass sometimes.

She put the lid back on the paste and rinsed off the brush with water. She struggled a bit as she stood up, her body still not fully healed, and tossed the toothbrush and paste to Jack who was still chuckling. They simultaneously hit him right in the gut and Kate just shook her head at him in mock-disgust as she passed.

She made a point to not take her eyes off him as he brushed his teeth, but Jack didn't seem to care. Kate laughed at him, as he seemed to be putting a show on for her, taking his sweet time. Running her tongue over her teeth, she thought that she might never take advantage of having a toothbrush ever again.

When Jack had finished, he wrapped the tube and brush in a square of left over paper towel and left it in the corner of the room by the door. Kate watched him, leaning back into the wall, trying her best to get comfortable.

He stooped to pick up their blanket and then sat down beside her, spreading the blanket out over both of them.

"You okay?" he asked, leaning his head against hers. He felt her nod.

"Much better, now that I'm all mint-y fresh." he heard her smile. Jack laughed and turned his head closer to her, so close that she could feel his breath hit her cheek, and her heart nearly stopped for a second. Pushing the butterflies in her stomach down, she slowly turned into him as well, and he caught her gaze.

"How're you?" she asked, feeling as if her brain wasn't even working anymore, her whole body numb from the closeness of him. She hadn't felt this way in a very long time, and she basked in the effect he was having on her.

"I'm great," Jack answered, the words slow and even, almost sensual.

Before she knew what she was doing, her lips were on his, crushing into him, needing him. Jack stilled as she moaned and opened her mouth to his. Suddenly, she had the urge to hold back. She had done it again, kissed him when she didn't even know if he _wanted_ to be kissed. _Dammit, Kate_.

She quickly moved a hand up to his chest and pushed herself away, looking up into his eyes. His lips were parted and wet and he panted slightly, looking very confused.

"Jack," she started to apologize.

He lifted a hand up from under the blanket to cup her cheek, allowing himself a small smile when she leaned into it. Slowly, he closed the distance between them again, kissing her, taking his time. When he broke away again, he leaned his forehead against hers as they both tried to catch their breath.

"I've been waiting almost a week to do that . . . " he trailed off, stroking his thumb against the smoothness of her cheek. Kate nodded, agreeing.

"Since that night in the jungle."

She was relieved to know that he wanted this as much as she did. Sliding her hand up and around his neck, she pulled him closer until their lips were barely touching. For a long moment, they sat like that, thighs flush against one another, arms entangled, lips flirting against lips. Jack made the move first and slid a hand down and around her back, finding the spot where her shirt just skimmed the top of her pants. Kate moaned and kissed him hard, teasing him with her tongue. Her whole body was shaking and she knew that she wanted this; that he wanted this. She let her hands wander the length of his body, devouring the feeling of him. When Jack slid a warm hand up under her shirt, she pressed into him, only pulling back when her damaged arm got caught between them.

"Sorry," Jack mumbled as he pulled away from her and looked down at her arm. Kate shook her head and pulled him back towards her. This time, she let her mouth travel up his cheek and down his neck, letting his beard tickle her lips as he played with the clasp of her bra.

"Wait, wait," She gasped as his hands finally unhooked her bra beneath her shirt. Jack stilled his hands, sliding them down to rest on her hips. Once again, confusion played at his features, and Kate instantly felt bad for stopping him a second time. "As much as I want this . . . " biting her lip, she started to explain. "I really don't want it to be on a cold cement floor." She offered him a small smile as he closed his eyes, nodding.

"I know," he sighed.

"I'm sorry," she murmured and kissed him, softly this time. She really was sorry, too. He had no idea how badly she wanted him right now.

"No, no. Don't be. You shouldn't . . . over exert yourself anyway." He smirked. Kate laughed and reached behind her to fix her undergarment, giving up on it when she couldn't secure it with just one hand. Jack mumbled an apology and reached around, doing up the bra for her with a sheepish smile.

Kate laid down, rearranging the blanket over her, lifting up the corner just enough to let Jack get under. He pulled her close to him, spooning her. When she felt his hardness press against the small of her back, she giggled, covering her mouth with her hand.

"You gonna be okay there?" She asked, feeling more than a bit guilty now that she felt the damage she had caused.

Jack groaned and kissed her shoulder. "Let's just say that you owe me. A lot."

Kate clasped her hand around his where he rested it on her stomach. "When we get out of here, I promise, I will owe you for _days _. . . "

"So, we're gonna get out of here now, huh?" He chuckled into her hair, happy that she had finally pushed away her fears and anxieties.

"Shut up," She mumbled, bringing his hands up to her mouth and resting them against her lips.

Jack smiled and pulled her hair back and away from her face, resting his lips against her neck. "Goodnight, Kate." He whispered as he gave her a small peck.

"'Night, Jack."

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A loud bang shook through the room and Kate jumped. Jack's grip tightened around her as two burly men dressed in lab coats barged into their room. One of them grabbed Jack by the arm, momentarily catching him off guard, and hauled him up.

"Rise and shine!" The other man, Tom, chuckled in his southern twang. Kate opened her mouth to protest, but then remembered that she was supposed to be too sick to talk, and promptly pressed her lips together. Instead, she reached out and made a grab for Jack as he yelled and tried to maneuver his way out of the hold of the two men.

"I'll be right back, Kate." Jack reassured her as he lost his battle against the Others. They pushed him out through the doors and Kate only hoped that he saw her nod before they shoved him down the hall. The door was still open and the young girl, Alex, made her way in cautiously. Keeping her eyes on Kate, she placed a piece of bread and several slices of mango in a napkin down on the floor in front of her. This had to be Danielle Rousseau's daughter. There was no mistaking it. She had Danielle's same light eyes, the same dark and unruly hair, even the same body structure.

Alex must have sensed that Kate was studying her because she quickly tried to take attention off of herself. "I brought you some mango this time." She said, placing a new bottle of water down next to the food. "I tried to tell them that you don't eat meat . . . at least, I think you don't, right?"

When Kate nodded, Alex smiled. "Don't worry about Jack. They just need to ask him a few questions . . . " She trailed off, uncomfortable now under Kate's scrutinizing stare. "Do you need to use the bathroom?" She asked.

When Kate shook her head no, Alex offered up one last polite smile before turning around, leaving the older woman alone.

The yellow light stuttered on overhead and Kate frowned up at it. She missed Jack already. She suddenly had no idea what she was going to do, how she was going to survive if they split them up.

No, it wasn't a question of _if_ . . . it was_ when_.

Kate tried to push the thought from her mind and reached for her breakfast. She avoided the bread altogether and grabbed the mango instead, savoring the sweet tanginess of the fruit in her mouth.

She saved the rest of the mango for Jack, and set aside the rest of the food. Picking up the toothbrush, she brushed her teeth, slowly, needing to pass the time. She focused on the feel of the brush against her teeth, the taste of the generic mint toothpaste on her tongue but as hard as she tried, she couldn't shake the thought of inevitably being separated from Jack.

Hours and hours passed and Kate had walked the space of the room more times than she could count. She tried to exercise her damaged arm, she even tried to read the book, and by the third long chapter, she still wasn't really sure what it was about. Dostoevsky was never really an author she could get into anyway and judging by the size of the book, she was kind of thankful she never did.

Eventually she tried to go back to sleep, but found her mind restless with worry for Jack. She squeezed her eyes shut and felt the familiar tightness close in around her throat. She wasn't going to cry. She couldn't. But as much as she tried to sway her mind, the fear came rushing back, and suddenly, she was crying again, this time worse than before and without Jack to comfort her. That thought made it so much worse and she collapsed in on herself, curling up on her side, letting her tears pool where her cheek met the cold floor. Sobs wracked her body and she reached for Sawyer's shirt to wipe her face with, breathing his scent in at the same time. She threw the shirt down when it only made her cry harder, missing him too.

She tried to tell herself that she was going to be fine, they all were, but it was no use. She was gone. Her tears were so uncontrollable now that she didn't even notice when Jack was thrown back into the room, could barely feel him as he pulled her into his arms. She didn't hear him when he told her that he was with her, and that they were okay, and that he was sorry that he left.

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**AN2:** I actually didn't plan to write another chapter for a while, but I was just messing around in Word and suddenly ended up with 6 pages of toothbrush pr0n. Oh yes indeedy, there is more, but alas it was all edited out, because it should _not_ be that easy for them to hook up. And also because apparently, I become a giggling school girl when I type the word c-ck. Oh man, this story just went up a rating. Hee!


	5. Chapter 5

**AN:** So this chapter is looooooong overdue and I am really really sorry. It's not my favourite chapter and it took more effort than I thought it would to write, but it's here, and I think my muse actually likes it. I guess it will just have to do. :-)

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**Chapter Five**

"How long did I sleep for?" She asked later on when she woke up. Jack was sitting, back against the wall, watching her. He looked exhausted, and Kate knew that he hadn't slept at all.

"Few hours . . . " Jack looked up at her, realizing that she was awake. Kate didn't even have to look at him, she could sense that he was worried just from the tone of his voice. "What happened, Kate?"

Pushing herself up, Kate winced at how stiff her body felt. "I don't know . . . " She huffed. She swallowed and her throat was sore again. "I feel like a truck hit me," she croaked out a sheepish laugh and glanced over to Jack. He was by her side before she knew it, hand on her back, going through his doctor routine once more.

"You were crying for a while there. What happened?" he asked again.

Kate shook her head. "Nothing," she lied. When he threw her a skeptical look, she grinned at him again. "I'm fine, Jack."

The truth was, she didn't even think she could explain to him in words what had happened, what she had felt the night before. It was far too overwhelming to even think about, and the fact that he was pressing her, it only made it worse. She didn't need to be given the third degree right now, especially not from him.

Jack pushed her hair back, away from her forehead, and he frowned at her. When was she ever going to let him in? Kate's grin turned into a full-fledged smile, hoping to distract him long enough that he would eventually forget about the night before. It didn't work, and his frown only deepened.

"I saved you some mango . . . " She pointed over to the bundle of food a few feet away.

Jack nodded curtly and moved back to his place by the wall. "I saw. Thank you."

Kate could tell he was annoyed with her, but she wasn't about to let him act that way when she did nothing wrong. "Aren't you going to eat it?" she prompted, an eyebrow raised. The close proximity between the two over the last four days was beginning to wear thin, and Kate could feel her own annoyance with him nag at her.

When she didn't receive an answer from him, Kate pushed the blanket off her and breathed an exasperated puff of air. Glaring at him, she crossed her arms. "They took you. You were gone . . . for hours. _What happened_?" She threw his question right back at him and watched to see what his reaction would be, knowing he wouldn't be able to take his own medicine for very long.

Jack shrugged and picked up the water bottle. He took a long pull from it, finishing the water off and chucked the bottle across the room. The clatter of the plastic hitting the far wall behind her echoed in the room and Kate winced. He was pissed.

When he started pacing, it only served to aggravate Kate more. "Tell me what happened Jack," she pursed her lips. She wasn't going to ask anymore.

"Why don't you tell _me_, Kate? Why can't I ever get a single _ounce_ of honesty out of you?" Jack rounded on her, his hands clenched into fists at his sides.

"That's what this is about!" She stood up fast and before Jack knew what had happened, she was in his face. "Don't you _dare _make this about . . . " She shook her head, so angry with him for playing the honesty card, she was at a loss for words. "You are _un_believable."

"What happened, Kate!" Jack yelled this time, sick of the way she played with him, avoiding the truth like it was a game.

"Nothing happened!" Kate yelled back, her voice breaking. Her skin was crawling now and she gripped at her arms, digging her nails in. The walls were closing in around her and she needed to get out of here, to not have to look at him anymore. She needed to run. She backed into the door and spun around, her hands feeling around for the handle. Even though in the back of her mind, she knew it was useless, she desperately tried to open it, turning the locked handle for all it was worth.

When it didn't budge, she sank down against the doorframe, head in her hands. She could feel hot tears gathering behind her eyes and she tried hard not to let them fall. Swallowing hard, she forced herself to look back up at Jack. He seemed better off than she was, leaning up against the wall, hand covering his eyes.

"Did they interrogate you, Jack?" Kate asked through a clenched jaw, wanting her questions to get to him. "Did they make you take tests? Did they ask you to switch sides? Did they hurt you?" her voice broke on the last question and she bit her lip, willing her tears not to spill over onto her cheeks, but it was too late and she glanced down in time to see the hot tears stain her shirt a deeper blue.

When Jack didn't answer right away, she prompted him again, "Answer me. I answered your question, Jack. Answer- "

"Did they hurt _you_, Kate?" Jack cut her off. He dropped his hand down to his side, and though he looked hard at her, Kate knew he was breaking inside. "Is that why you were crying? Did one of them . . . ?" He trailed off, too sickened by the thought to finish it.

Kate choked on a sob and shook her head, mouthing a silent "no." It didn't even occur to her that Jack had been thinking that this entire time. Why didn't he just ask her that right away instead of drawing it out like he had, provoking her like that? She never felt so lost before and it made her sick. All she wanted to do was disappear.

Kate slowly crawled over to the small pile of items that they had collected over the last few days. Grabbing Sawyer's shirt out of the pile, she draped it over her arms as she sat cross legged against the wall. She closed her eyes, tears spilling down her face and though she couldn't see him, she could feel Jack's eyes burning into her. Sawyer's shirt really wasn't helping the problem but she pulled the deep red material tighter around her anyway, reveling in its smell of sand and wood smoke and a hint of sweat. It smelled just like Sawyer, and Kate found comfort in that, if only for a brief moment.

Jack eventually started to pace again, avoiding the space Kate was in altogether. When she had lost count of how many times he has circled the room, Kate started to play with the hem of Sawyer's shirt, tugging at a string that had come loose. "Aren't you going to answer my questions?" She asked, her voice thick from crying.

"No." Jack continued to pace, keeping his eyes glued to the floor in front of him.

"Why not?"

"Because . . . because you don't need to know, okay?" His patience was starting to wear thin again and he finally dropped down to sit opposite her a few feet away.

Kate stopped pulling on the hem of the shirt and glared at him. "Stop babying me." She told him firmly.

"I'm not babying you, Kate. You just don't need to worry about it. It's nothing, okay?"

"Stop lying." She growled. "It _is_ something, and one of these days, they're going to take me out there, and I deserve to know what happens, so _tell me_."

Jack was silent for a long moment and Kate watched him contemplate telling her, his eyes conveying so much more than he was letting on. "No. You don't need to know." He answered finally, his eyes dropping her gaze and she scoffed at him.

"If it were me and not you, you know I'd tell you everything. You think you're gonna scare me by telling me what went on out there, Jack?" Kate shook her head in disbelief at him. "It's your fault we're in here!" she yelled at him, not realizing what she had said until it was out of her mouth. Kate bit her lip and watched him for his reaction, wishing she hadn't said it at all.

Jack opened his mouth to retort back when the click of the lock interrupted him and the door swung open. Kate glanced up to the bright light streaming into the room. Alex stood, a foot wedged between the wall and the heavy metal and poked her head in.

"Do you need to use the bathroom, Kate?" The young girl asked, looking apprehensively back and forth between the two captives on the floor. If she didn't know any better, it looked as though Kate had been crying.

Kate coughed and wiped hastily at the fresh tears that had streaked down her face. She stole a hard glance at Jack before nodding her head in Alex's direction. Taking off Sawyer's shirt, she folded it quickly and laid it down next to her. When she moved to stand up, Jack put a hand on her back to help steady her, but she pushed him away, standing up on her own.

Not even looking back, Kate followed Alex out the door and down the hallway. The short walk to the bathroom had become so routine to Kate over the last few days that she was sure she could find the facilities in the dark on her own by now. Alex turned the handle and opened the door for Kate, standing aside to let her into the room.

The bathrooms in the building were the bare minimum. Three toilet stalls lined the left-hand side of the grey-tiled room and a plastic curtain closed off the lone shower towards the back. Three standalone sinks stood in a row to the right, with one cracked mirror sitting above the middle sink. It reminded Kate of her highschool locker room, just without the lockers. She walked passed Alex and ran a hand over her tired face. This was so much worse than living on a beach, or even in a scraggly motel for weeks at a time. To her, this was prison.

Kate started to head towards the closest stall before she realized she wasn't alone in the room. She turned around to see Alex, standing nervously by the door, hopping slightly from foot to foot. Off Kate's look, Alex opened her mouth to speak but glanced back to the door. Moving forward, closer to Kate, she finally whispered. "I'm sorry, but this is the only place that they don't watch with cameras." The younger girl smiled apologetically.

Kate frowned, not knowing what Alex was getting at. The teen went on, shaking her hands at her sides, like she had some huge secret to tell, but not enough time. "You need to help me." She went on in her whispered tone. "You're their only . . . I know that you can . . . " Alex shook her head, like she was getting ahead of herself. Kate held up her hands, telling the girl to slow down, and Alex nodded and took a breath. "I can help you escape."

Kate forgot herself and her eyes widened at the girl's words. "What!"

Alex repeated herself. "I can help. I want to help. You don't belong in here. None of you do. They're just using you for their . . . _experiments_ . . . " She explained.

Kate grabbed the edge of a nearby sink. This was obviously some kind of trap. "I don't believe you," she sputtered. "Why are you doing this?"

Alex reached out and grabbed Kate's arm. "You need to trust me, Kate. I'm on your side, I can help you get out of here, but we don't have much time!"

Kate glanced at Alex. The girl's earnest eyes pleaded with her. Kate bit her lip. Didn't Claire say that Alex had helped her escape? Maybe she could trust this girl.

"Why are were here?" Kate asked, taking a leap of her own faith. She would do anything if it meant getting out of this hell hole.

Alex winced, "I don't know." Kate shook her head in disbelief and Alex sent her a pleading look. "They don't tell me why! Just that you're . . . special. They need you for something . . . . You and Jack are the most important. But so was Walt . . . and Claire's baby!" Alex paused and frowned. "Did she have it? The baby?" When Kate nodded, Alex smiled in relief. "Was it a boy or a girl?"

"Alex!" Kate prompted.

Alex's eyes widened in shock. "You know my name?"

Kate shook her head in exasperation. She didn't have time for this."What the hell am I doing here!"

Alex glanced to the door again, as if someone would walk in any second. "Look, I really don't know. I just need you to know that I'm on your side. Okay?"

Kate nodded and took a deep breath. "What did they do to Jack and Sawyer?"

Alex furrowed her brow in thought."They haven't done anything with Sawyer yet. I don't think they need him at all. He's really only here for you. I've been bringing him food every day, and he seems really good." She paused, letting her words wash over Kate, relief flooding the other woman's face. "And they've just run one test on Jack so far, but I'm not sure what for . . . " Alex offered a small smile to Kate. It wasn't much information to be giving her, but hopefully it was enough.

Kate shook her head. "They don't tell you much, do they?"

"No." Alex sighed. "But I do know my way around this place, and I can help you get out of here."

Kate contemplated Alex's offer, mulling it over in her head as she turned to look into the mirror. When her dusty and cracked reflection looked back at her through the glass, she saw the tiredness in her eyes, the stress working its way across her face. She reached up and fingered the square of gauze on her neck. With one swift movement, she ripped the patch off, revealing a long line, a scab where the incision was healing over. Kate watched Alex watch her out of the corner of her eye, anticipating her answer. Yes, would she accept this girl's help and run for her life? Would she risk all of their lives, just to try to save them? Or would she decline and wait out her life in imprisonment, not knowing from one day to the next if any of them would live?

Taking a steadying breath, Kate locked eyes with Alex through the mirror. "Okay. I'm in."

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**AN2:** Reviews are a girl's best friend ;-) 


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: **Once again, I am so sorry this took me so long to get out. I've been a bit busy with real life... stuff. As of right now I may or may not be moving to China at the end of August (I live in Canada, so this is a big big move). I find out within the next few days, so cross your fingers for me! Anyway, here's the latest chapter, with another on it's way. Thank you all so much for the reviews, you guys rock my world:-)

* * *

**Chapter Six**

Alex sighed. "Good. We can do this tomorrow night. But Kate, there's only one way we can do this for it to work."

"Woah," Kate held up a hand, suddenly regretting her answer. Maybe she should have asked what the terms were before agreeing to this. "_What way_?" she asked, unsure if she really wanted to know.

Alex bit her lip. "When your plane crashed on the island, it split into two parts. There were children on the other side of the plane, the tail end."

Kate nodded, affirming this. She had heard Libby talk about a boy and a girl she had briefly taken under her wing for nine days before they had been kidnapped by the Others. Alex went on, glancing over her shoulder again, feeling suddenly paranoid about their privacy. "My people... took the kids. They thought that they might have something, some powers, some use."

"Like Walt..." Kate said, connecting what little clues she had to work with.

Alex nodded. "Like Walt. Klugh tested them both for days, and when she came up with nothing, she handed them over to me to take care of. They weren't important to her anymore, they had no use. She forgets that they're even there half the time, Kate. She treats them like animals. She never gives them enough food to eat. She keeps them confined to their rooms for days at a time!" Alex was getting severely upset just talking about the children. Tears formed at the corners of her eyes, and Kate wondered if memories of Alex's childhood were resurfacing in the poor girl's mind.

Alex wiped at her eyes, her hands shaking as she did so. "I need you to take them. That's the only condition I have Kate. If you want me to help you escape, I need you to take them out of this place." Alex looked at Kate with her unwavering blue eyes. "Please?"

Kate took a deep breath. "Yeah... yes. Okay. How could I say no?" She gave the girl a reassuring grin.

Alex smiled, relieved. "You'll be okay in the jungle right? You'll have to cut through some heavy foliage to get to the rocks, but once you hit the beach, you should be fine."

"Yeah, I think so." Kate frowned and rubbed her forehead, feeling a headache coming on. "Wait. How are all five of us going to escape and make it across the island without any of your people knowing?"

"Oh." Alex winced. "Five? No... Kate, I'm sorry, I thought I said... It can only be you and the kids. There's no way I can get Sawyer and Jack out too without someone getting suspicious." Alex watched as Kate's mouth dropped slightly open. That was definitely something she had not been expecting.

"No, no way. I'm not leaving without them Alex!" Kate hissed, not wanting to raise her voice to yell at the girl.

"Kate, please! It's the only way!"Alex pleaded with her. "I can take you and the kids outside tomorrow night for a walk. It'll be dark, no one will see. I can say you overpowered me and took off with the children."

"And Jack and Sawyer? What about them?" Kate asked, aggravated with the whole plan, with Alex, and with herself for agreeing to do this.

"You can go back to your camp, get help and come back for them. They won't hurt them, I promise. Klugh will be too upset with you gone to even notice them. Please, Kate? Please?" Alex begged, pulling on Kate's arm.

A loud bang thundered against the door and shook the two girls where they stood. They spun facing the door just in time to see it open, revealing Pickett, arms crossed over his chest.

"What the hell, Alex? You're supposed to be reporting back to me, not taking the pets out for a damn walk!" He shoved a thumb in Kate's direction. Alex rolled her eyes and slid an arm up and around Kate, getting the older woman to lean on her instead of the sink.

"I was just helping her. She was gonna take a shower and she got dizzy. She fell and I came in to help her. Don't be such an ass, Pickett." Alex glared at him from across the room.

Pickett cocked an eyebrow at her, daring her to call him that again. "Get her in the shower and then get out here. We need to talk, missy." He slammed the door behind him before Alex had time to respond.

Kate turned to her, apprehension in her eyes. "Do you think he heard?" She whispered.

Alex shook her head, no. "Probably just wants to lecture me on the name calling again." She rolled her eyes. "So you'll do it right?"

Kate sighed. "Yeah, I'll do it."

"Thank you. So much." Alex smiled. She looked like she was about to hug Kate but decided against it and headed for the door. "I'll be outside when your done in here. And Kate?" She paused, hand on the doorknob, still whispering. "Don't tell Jack."

Kate bit the inside of her cheek, the taste of copper hitting her tongue before she felt the sting of her teeth biting down on flesh. If this plan didn't kill her, keeping the whole thing from Jack would. Another thing she had to hide from him, and after the fight they just had too. He was not going to like this when he found out...

Nodding, she gave Alex the best smile she could muster and the girl turned and headed out the door. The lock clicked into place and Kate turned to the shower. What had she just gotten herself into?

What if's and nightmare scenarios invaded Kate's mind as she was escorted by Pickett and a now-silent Alex back to her room with Jack. What if she didn't make it? What if she got lost in the jungle? What if one of the kids got hurt, or worse, what if _she_ got hurt? What if they couldn't find food or water? What if she came back with help and Jack and Sawyer weren't here anymore? What if she never found them again? She couldn't stay in this place forever. She couldn't just sit around and let the Others do this to them when there was something she could do about it, but the cons to the plan were really getting to Kate, and the closer she got to their room, the less and less she saw the pros.

Pickett's grip on her shoulder tightened and Kate gasped as he squeezed the still healing muscle. He jerked her to the right as Alex fumbled with the keys to the room. "Stop your squealin'. We're here."

Alex clicked the lock open and without looking at Kate, opened the door and pushed her in. Kate stumbled for a second in the near darkness as the heavy door slammed behind her and the ball bearings of the lock snapped into place again. In the flickering light of a candle, Kate saw Jack look up at her from where he sat. _The Brothers Karamazov_ was open in his hands, and he seemed to have gotten farther than she had with the book.

Jack folded the top corner of the page he was on, never taking his eyes off of her, not knowing what to say. Kate ran a hand through her damp hair and she avoided his gaze, knowing exactly what he was thinking. He was waiting to see if she was still angry with him and she didn't plan on letting him find out, choosing to ignore his persistent stare instead.

Sighing she sat down, landing a bit harder than she wanted to and wincing as her tail bone met the cement floor. Looking up to the ceiling, she tried to get a glimpse of a camera or two that Alex had mentioned earlier. When she only saw shadows, she couldn't help but feel her anxiety lift a little. But, she reminded herself, it didn't mean that they weren't there though, hiding in a corner of the ceiling, taping everything that went on in their little room.

A blush crept up around her cheeks as she tried to forget that there was a big chance the Others might have seen not only a healthy Kate walking around and talking without effort, but worse: the hot and heavy display of affections that she and Jack decided to partake in the day before. She was extremely thankful that they had both agreed to stop when they did, for more than just the sake of their relationship now. There was no way she was giving these creeps a free show.

Her wet hair clung to her cheeks and using the elastic band on her wrist, she quickly wrapped her hair up into a messy bun on the top of her head. The cool air of the room hit her bare neck like ice and she suppressed a shiver, wrapping her arms around herself. Kate suddenly found the blanket being draped over her shoulders and tucked in and around her arms. Jack had gotten up and gathered some of her things to bring over to her unnoticed while she had been looking up.

Feeling the guilt natter away inside of her, Kate offered him a smile of thanks, wrapping the blanket tighter around her. She hated that she had fought with him earlier and now, even worse, she hated that she had to leave him tomorrow and lie about it. The fight was already out of her memory as he returned her smile, and she felt her tummy flutter. She was amazed that he still had that effect on her. Even after all they had been through on this island, he made her heart beat just a bit faster every time he looked at her.Everysingle time.

Kate closed her eyes and leaned into him, feeling him rest his chin on her head, melting into him as he kissed her forehead. "You smell good," he murmured into ear, his arms pulling her closer to him.

"I had a shower." she replied with an obvious tone. "You could use one."

Jack chuckled. "I hope you saved me some shampoo."

"You know I did." Kate reached out and poked him in the stomach.

"Ouch! Hey." He swatted her hand away, pretending to be angry at her for only a split second. It was just enough time to remind Kate of how angry they had been with each other not even an hour ago.

"Jack- "

"I'm sorry, Kate. Let's just forget it even happened... okay?" Jack cut off Kate before she even managed to form her own apology.

Kate frowned at him. "I wanted to apologize first..." Jack smiled and his hand found hers inside the blanket. "I'm sorry too." she managed to whisper, eyes closed, her voice lost somewhere between what she wanted to say and the feeling of his fingers entwining with her own.

Jack's thumb slowly traced a map over her hand and Kate could feel his eyes on her, watching her reaction, a blissful look spreading over her face. All of the thoughts and fears and guilt in her head were slowly melting away until the only thing she could think of was him and now.

His actions slowed slightly and Kate opened her eyes to send him a look of protest, but she found him looking at her neck. "You took the gauze off," he stated, the doctor in him taking over. Kate nodded and Jack reached behind him for the candle, raising it to get a better look at her wound.

"Had too. It would have fallen off in the shower anyway." She shrugged. Lifting her head up and out to give Jack a better view, Kate tried not to be too disappointed that their moment was lost. Jack traced a finger around the scab that was forming on Kate's neck, a horizontal line that, he said, should have been stitched up but was doing fine without them.

"I wish I had some more gauze to cover it with... Just don't pick at it or scratch it and it should heal up nicely," he said to her, earning him a glare from Kate for his slight patronizing tone.

"Do I get a lollipop, _Doctor _Shepard?" She raised an eyebrow at him, pursing her lips in mock-annoyance.

He chuckled, placing the candle back on the floor where it had been. "Cute."

"I thought so," Kate grinned up at him as Jack's hand found her hip. As he laid down, he gently tugged at her, telling her to do the same.

Kate grumbled at having to move, but she grudgingly pulled the blanket off from around her shoulders and spread it out over Jack. "Tired?"

"Yes," he replied sheepishly, muffling a yawn.

"You should be. Serves you right. Staying up all night, making sure I was okay." She winked at him before climbing underneath the blanket herself. "Not that it wasn't, you know, appreciated." Kate kissed Jack on his stubbled cheek before snuggling down into his chest, an arm draped lazily over him, her leg sneaking it's way in between his.

"Of course," he mumbled, sleep already taking hold of him. Kate looked up to Jack to find his eyes already closed.

"Hey," she whispered into his ear, brushing her lips against his earlobe. When his eyes opened blearily, she pushed herself up to lean on her elbow, smiling down at him. Just as Jack opened his mouth to question her, Kate leaned in for a kiss. Her lips pressed against his and he opened his mouth slightly to her, inviting her in. Kate broke away first though, trailing a finger down the bridge of his nose.

"What was that for?" Jack asked, confused.

"I need a reason? Go to sleep." She kissed the tip of his nose and rested her head back down on his chest. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Kate felt him smile against her forehead as he rested his lips there and soon she felt his breath slow to a even pace. He was asleep.

And try as she might to sleep herself, hours later, Kate was still awake. The question of what tomorrow would actually bring loomed over her head and invaded her mind. She was definitely not getting any sleep tonight.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

"How's the book?" Kate asked, glancing down at Jack. He was using her lap as a headrest, propping theheavy Dostoevskyup on his own knees as he read. Kate had been watching Jack read for the last half hour, and as much as she loved watching him, she was getting very bored, very fast.

"Mmm?" he mumbled, briefly glancing up from the page he was on.

"The book," Kate repeated, running her finger's through Jack's shortly cropped hair, hoping to get his attention that way. "How is it?"

Jack shrugged and quickly closed the novel, setting it aside and shifting himself up from his position in Kate's lap to sit next to her. "You're bored."

Kate pursed her lips. "Maybe. Alittle."

Jack smiled and moved closer to her, leaning in and placing a soft kiss on her pouting mouth. "I can think of something that would keep both of us occupied . . . " he trailed off, trying his best to be as come-hither as possible and failing miserably. Kate had to laugh. Why was he even trying to be sexy, when all he had to do was blink and she was his?

"Stop laughing." Jack chuckled, trailing a hand down her sides, eliciting even more giggles from Kate.

Grabbing his hands and holding them at her sides, Kate sighed and leaned in for a kiss of her own. Jack was beginning to wrap his arms around her when she stopped him suddenly, glancing up to the ceiling, looking for a video camera that she was almost positive was there. The idea that the Others were watching their every move bothered Kate. The idea that they could see what should have been an intimate moment between her and Jack, drove her insane.

"What's wrong?" Jack asked, following her gaze.

Kate shook her head and smiled at him. "I think they have a camera in here somewhere," she whispered.

Jack pulled back slightly, a frown on his face. "How do you know?"

A momentary wave of panic passed through Kate and she realized that she couldn't tell him the real reason why she knew, it might compromise Alex's escape plan. Instead, Kate shrugged. "I just get the feeling like we're being watched."

Jack nodded. "You feel it too, huh?"

Kate inwardly sighed with relief. He believed her lie. No, it wasn't a lie. It was . . . a fib. It was a tiny, little fib compared to everything else going on in her life and for a moment, she was reminded of her promise to Alex. Suddenly, she felt the crushing weight of the responsibility she carried. Biting her lip, Kate leaned toward Jack and rested her head on his shoulder, wanting to cry, feeling her shoulders already start to shake.

"Hey . . . hey." Jack said, automatically pulling her into his embrace, arms tight around her. One of his hands found her back and began rubbing slow, small circles.

Taking in a hard, painful breath of stale air, Kate turned her head to the side, just under Jack's chin. "I'm sorry," She whispered. "I'm just so . . . tired, Jack. My mind won't stop racing. I hate this." She mumbled, finding herself chewing her lip even more, wanting so desperately to tell him everything right then.

Jack continued to rub her back. Every once in a while, his lips brushed against her forehead. "I know, I know."

"It's just . . . Do you even think they're coming for us? Sayid, Eko . . . even John? Do you think Hurley told them?" She glanced up at him through her eyelashes, begging silently to him to lie to her. It would make her feel so much better if he did.

Jack's forehead wrinkled as he frowned, contemplating what he could tell her. "Yeah. Yes," He said with a firm nod. "They're coming for us. I'm sure Hurley made it back just fine, and that he told them and they're probably on their way as we speak." When he gave her a small smile, Kate knew he didn't believe a word he had just said. Oh, he had wanted to believe it, with all his heart, but Kate knew.

She was suddenly glad she wasn't the only one telling small fibs.

The light flickered overhead for a split second as a door slammed down the hallway, reverberating off the walls of their room. Both Jack and Kate looked to their own door, noticing for the first time that the light was on outside in the hallway.

Footsteps echoed down the hallway, getting closer and closer to their door and Kate felt her stomach clench, nerves getting the best of her, a feeling she was getting used to by now. Hands clenching, she bit down on her lip, tasting the bitter copper of blood. _Please don't stop, keep walking, don't stop here, please_. She repeated it over and over in her head, until the words meant nothing to her.

The handle jiggled as the lock clicked into place, and when the door swung open, Tom strode into the room, Neil following behind.

"Well now, good afternoon to you too!" Tom chuckled when he saw the look Jack gave him. " I just came to escort you to the tests." A thin smile drew itself on the older man's face as he crossed his arms and stared Jack down.

Jack glared at Tom before turning to look at Kate, his expression softening as he did so. "I'll see you soon," he whispered to her, running a hand down her arm until his fingers found hers. Giving her hand a delicate squeeze, he pushed himself up and walked over to an amused looking Tom.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Tom apologized to Jack, clapping him hard on the shoulder. "I wasn't talking to _you_." He turned his gaze to Kate.

Her stomach dropped once more, and feeling a rush of bile, Kate swallowed hard, eyes widening.

"What? No!" Jack protested, trying his best to get in between Kate and Tom. Kate propelled herself backwards as Tom bent down to grab her by the arm. He was too fast and he hauled her up, his calloused fingers digging into her flesh.

_No, no, no! This isn't happening_, Kate thought. She couldn't be taken. She wouldn't be back in time for Alex to get her. There was no way she would be able to escape.

Kate finally felt her instincts kick in as she began to struggle against Tom. In the back of her mind, she heard Jack pleading with Tom not to take her, she was still too weak, she was sick, and couldn't he see that?

Tom just laughed more. "Oh, I saw just fine. She looked _real _sick the other night when you two were getting cozy right here on this floor."

Neil moved in and shoved Jack hard enough to hit the opposite wall. Tom shook Kate in his grasp, enjoying the turmoil he was causing the two captives, he watched as they never once took their eyes off each other. Leaning in, he shook her again. "Say goodbye, Katie."

"Jack!" Kate screamed, feeling her throat muscles burn in protest where her wound was still healing. But she didn't care, the pain was nothing compared to what she was feeling right now. She was scared to death.

"Quit talking andknock her out already, Tom!" Neil pushed Jack back again, this time hard enough to make Jack stumble and lose his balance, crashing down to the floor. He watched helplessly as Tom drew a wet cloth from a pocket and placed it over Kate's mouth and nose.

"Don't hurt her, please!" Jack heard himself begging the two men, as he watched Kate's breathing quicken then slow, her eyes rolling back; she was unconscious. Fighting back the urge to cry out for her, Jack made one last attempt, throwing himself in her direction. This time, Neil punched him, sending Jack flying back. By the time he had recovered from the blow, they had already gone.

* * *

Heavy. 

Her head was heavy and she felt hot all over, feverish. Her head bobbed and she tried to open her eyes. They felt heavy too. The more air she sucked in, the more Kate felt like vomiting. Trying to steady her breathing, she groaned and let her head fall back, her eyes opening slowly. A glaring white light greeted her and she recoiled as if she'd been slapped, the light hurting her worse than any migraine she ever had. She quickly closed her eyes and let out a small shout, wincing at the invasion.

"Hello, Kate." A familiar woman's voice called out to her from behind, and Kate tried to turn to see who it was. Her arms pulled tight against restraints and as she blinked away the spots in front of her eyes, she saw that she had been tied down to a chair. Her wrists, ankles and waist were bound by leather straps and the more she pulled, the tighter they got.

Bea stepped into Kate's view then and smiled at the younger woman. "Good to see you're awake." Kate tried to keep her head up to glare at Bea but to no avail. She let her head hang down, having no choice but to scowl at the floor instead.

Bea bent down to look at Kate. The girl's face was a deep, angry red as the fever from the chloroform tore through her body. Reaching a hand up to feel Kate's forehead, Bea asked, "How do you feel?"

Kate managed to pull away just enough to send the message across to Bea. "Like shit. Thanks for asking," she rasped, wanting to spit in the other woman's face but not able to find the strength. Bea just smiled and stood, walking out of Kate's view.

Kate heard clattering and movement all around her. Her head finally started to clear and she could at least lift it up enough to look around. The room she was in was nothing like any other room she had seen in the building so far. It looked like she was in a hospital. White walls, white floor, white ceiling, all impeccably clean. Computers lined one wall, and a dark mirror, what could only be a two-way, lined the opposite wall facing her. No doubt there was someone behind there, watching her.

More people than she could count, most of which she had never seen before, ran around the room. Some had papers in their hands, and some were at the computers. Several of them, including Bea, were wearing white lab coats.

Trying to get a better look at what was surrounding her. Kate turned her head to one side. The chair she was tied to was a tall-back steel chair with leather straps on the armrests, legs, and at the waist. A positional spot light was attached to the back and shone down, hot on her head. To her right was an IV drip and to her left was a heart monitor, already beeping away. She looked at it, the digital green waves rising and falling on the screen, faster and faster as she took in more of the room.

She heard Bea say "We should be ready to go here soon." Kate pulled once more against the restraints. It was no use; the more she pulled, the tighter they would get.

When Bea walked back in front of Kate, she turned to the rest of the room and loudly asked, would everyone except the people who needed to be here, please leave the room. Kate watched as almost everyone promptly stopped what they were doing and did as they were told. Some snuck peeks at Kate as they walked passed, making her feel like the most exotic animal at the zoo, trapped and exposed. She met their looks head on, glaring at them until they were out of her sight.

Bea turned back to Kate. "Well . . . I guess we can begin," she smiled and reached over to her medical tray, retrieving a syringe and flicking it, watching the liquid inside. "I don't think we've been formally introduced, Kate. I know who you are. In fact, I know a lot about you, but you don't even know my full name." The older woman met Kate's stare. "I'm Miss Klugh, but you can call me Bea."

Bea moved closer to Kate and rubbed the inside of her exposed arm with an alcohol pad. Kate tensed, preparing herself for a repeat of what happened the last time she was sedated by these people. Bea seemed to notice and paused before sticking her with the needle.

"Don't worry, Kate. I did some research since the last time we met. You're not allergic to this one." She smiled and pushed the needle slowly into Kate's vein. "We also did our medical exam while you were unconscious. You'll be happy to know that you're healthy as can be."

It was as if she were waking up and falling asleep at the same time as Kate watched the serum enter into her bloodstream. She wanted to pull away, to run, but her limbs wouldn't move an inch. She felt like her whole body was going numb. Bea watched her heart rate on the monitor. As soon as it slowed to a rate she approved of, she took the IV and fed it into the back of Kate's hand, turning the drip onto a steady pace.

"Pickett?" Bea called out to the other man. He immediately stepped in front of Kate and took out a pen light, shining it into her eyes. When Kate blinked, he held her eyelids open to get a better look.

Clicking the pen light off, he turned to Bea. "Yep, she's alert."

"Good," Bea smiled and gently pushed Pickett aside, taking his place in front of Kate. Bending down to look at Kate directly, the older woman started to explain. "We're going to run a few tests on you, Kate. You're going to have to stay as focused as you can, otherwise we will have to use force. You understand."

Kate couldn't shake her head no even if she wanted to. Her tongue and jaw wouldn't move. She couldn't even cry for help . . .

Not like anyone would hear her anyway.

"Juliet?" Bea beckoned for someone else to come over now. A blonde woman, barely older than Kate herself, walked over, high heels clicking against the tile of the floor. Bea moved out of Kate's line of vision and Juliet took her place, pulling a stool over and sitting down.

"Hi Kate," Juliet smiled, her full, pink lips forming into a sweet smile. "I need you to relax for me, okay, honey?" She breathed in deep and closed her eyes, positioning her hands so they were hovering around Kate's head. Within seconds, Kate felt a soothing warmth all around her head and down into her neck. She felt her own breathing slow to match with the woman sitting in front of her, and suddenly she was seeing things behind her eyes.

Memories from her childhood flashed in front of her, like someone was pressing the fast forward button on her life. Kate gasped for breath and tried to make it stop. The heat surrounding her head continued to get warmer and warmer, until she could almost feel Juliet's hands burning into her skull, even though she wasn't touching her.

Kate didn't know what was going on but the second she realized what Juliet was doing, she tried to stop her. She couldn't open her eyes. It was if they were weighted down, glued shut. Her memories continued to flash behind her eyes, and Kate fought to make them stop, resisting Juliet's invasion of her mind. Finally her eyes opened and she glared at Juliet, who shouted in protest before opening her eyes herself and withdrawing her hands.

"She kicked me out!" Juliet explained to Bea when the older woman asked what happened. "She was fine for a few seconds, and then . . . " She threw up her hands in protest. Kate noticed how red the palms of Juliet's hands were. It looked like she had put them down on a hot stove-top.

Juliet threw a stern look to Kate. "Don't do that again." With a sigh, she placed her hands back up around Kate's head and closed her eyes again. This time though, Kate didn't relax, she didn't close her eyes. Instead, she focused on Juliet's face and how much she wanted to tear her pretty blonde hair out of her pretty little head.

After a long moment, Juliet growled and opened her eyes again. "She's blocking me out, Bea. I can't get in anymore."

If Kate could have moved her facial muscles right then, she would have smirked right in the other woman's face. She didn't know what she was really doing to block her out, but whatever it was, she wasn't going to stop.

Bea looked long and hard at Kate before telling Juliet to "Do it again. Try and bypass her main stream of consciousness."

When Juliet turned back to Kate, all the sweetness had drained from her face. Kate blinked, and Juliet prepared to enter into Kate's thoughts again, and again, Kate stared Juliet down. She wasn't going to give up. She wasn't going to do what these people wanted her to do. There was no way in hell she was going to go down without a fight.

When Juliet gave up again, she didn't even look at Kate. "She's not letting me in." She shook her head and stood up, walking away from Kate. "I can't work with her unless she's willing." Pulling Bea aside, Kate heard Juliet whisper, "I don't know how she's doing it. None of the others were this difficult, not even _him_."

Bea chewed on a fingernail while Juliet talked, watching Kate, deciding what to do with her. When the blonde shook her head and walked out of Kate's sight,Bea walked over to the door by the mirror and opened it, leaning in. Muffled voices made their way to Kate's ears but now she couldn't make out what was being said. When Bea finally returned, she looked disappointed.

Crossing her arms, she stood beside Kate, just inside the younger woman's peripheral view. "I was really hoping that we wouldn't have to resort to this, Katherine," She scolded Kate as if she were talking to a child. "But I did warn you."

The main door to the room slammed open. Tom and Neil carried an unconscious Sawyer in their arms over to the center of the room, in between Kate and the mirror. Another man wheeled out a chair, similar to Kate's and Tom dropped Sawyer down in it.

Kate watched in horror as they bound Sawyer to the chair, tying the restraints tight around him. Kate heard herself whimper through her closed lips. She was helpless, there was nothing she could do but watch.

Pickett walked up to the sleeping Sawyer, pushing two IV's in front of him. He set up one to the right of the chair and the other on the opposite side. As Pickett prepared the two bags filled with liquids, Bea spoke to Kate in hushed tones. "Right now, James is under the effects of Thiobarbital, a sedative. It's also what's in the IV bag to the right. In the bag on the left," Pickett hooked the needles into the back of Sawyer's hands, turning the left drip on. "In the bag on the left, Kate, is an amphetamine, something to . . . well, you'll see." Kate saw Bea nod to Pickett, who now stood behind Sawyer, operating the IV's.

Pickett smiled wickedly at Kate from where he stood and turned the drip on the amphetamine to high. Within a few seconds, Sawyer was awake, pulling at his own restraints. His breathing was coming in short, fast puffs and he cried out in pain. Veins bulged from where he was straining his arms, trying to break free. When he finally noticed that he wasn't alone in the room, he looked up.

"Kate," he barely whispered her name. It was so strange to hear him call her that.

Kate caught his gaze, wide eyed. She didn't know what to do. She couldn't do anything, anyway.

Sawyer pulled tight against the bindings, but found himself in the same situation as Kate. The more he pulled, the tighter they got. When he finally gave up with a grunt, he shouted out "Son of a bitch!". Pickett soon got bored of this though and quickly turned the IV bag down, replacing it with the sedative instead. Almost instantly, Sawyer was falling asleep, his arms twitching in their cuffs.

"You see, Katherine. We can do this as long as you want. The longer it takes for you to let us in, the longer we will keep James in this state." She nodded to Pickett again. Once more, the drugs were switched, and once more, Sawyer woke with a start, screaming through the pain.

* * *

**AN: **I guess Kate's stay is going to be a bit longer than expected. :-)

Some credit needs to be mentioned for the torturing Sawyer is going through, as it was a scene "borrowed" from an Alias episode (Season 3, _Full Disclosure_). There is no way I could have thought of something that cruel myself. Apparently, it's a very painful way of convincing someone to cooperate. :-s Ouch!

Thanks to all the reviewers! You guys make myweek :-)


	8. Chapter 8

**AN**: I am so sorry I didn't get this chapter up sooner. Let's just say that moving across the pacific hasn't been the most fun thing ever. Laptops were broken, chapters were deleted and had to be rewritten... And then there was episode six of season three and well, that killed any muse I had whatsoever. 

But with enough therapy (see S1&2 DVD's) and a new computer, I've managed to bounce back. So with my sincere apologies and hopes that most of you stuck around, here's chapter eight.

(Sidenote: I decided to keep somethings from the show the same, mostly because I didn't want to stray too far from canon ie. Henry Gale's real name being Benjamin Linus)

* * *

**Chapter Eight**

Kate felt as if she'd been staring at the sun. The image of Sawyer strapped to the chair, near death, burned in her mind and no matter how many times she tried to blink it away, he was still there, a ghost behind her eyelids, white on black, an exposure she didn't know how to erase.

She had given in. She had no other choice. They were killing him.

Sawyer had begged with her, pleaded in his broken, pained voice to not give up, to keep fighting. But she had given up and they took him away, a look of defeat on his face.

The last thing Kate remembered was Juliet's calm face reading her like she was the latest Steven King novel. Kate had decided then, she didn't care anymore, let them do what they wanted. After everything, all that she'd been through the last two months, even the last four years, she couldn't bring herself to struggle anymore. She was too tired to keep fighting.

Now, she sat on the edge of the bed they had given her, in a nightgown she had no memory of putting on. She sat on the bed, bent forward and steadied her breathing to keep from crying or worse, passing out again.

With a shaky hand she pushed against her knees to help herself stand, leaning back on the mattress when her legs gave out. Again, she pushed up and managed to keep her balance. Surveying the room she was in, Kate turned slowly to take it all in. Baby blue walls and paintings of sailboats surrounded her, while a plush cream carpet warmed her bare toes. The bed she had been sitting on moments before was a dark wood frame with cream blankets and it seemed to match all the other furnishings in the room. Kate shook her head, confused. What happened that over the course of two hours the Others had changed their minds so drastically about her?

Her stomach lurched as she made her way from the bedroom into what seemed to be a sitting room. If she had been out of it anymore than she already was, Kate would have guessed they had moved her to the nearest Holiday Inn. This room was too nice to be underground like the other rooms. A quick glance around the sitting room found no windows to disprove the theory of being above sea level, but Kate's eyes did manage to focus on the most beautiful platter of fruit she had ever seen in her life sitting on the coffee table.

Making her way over to the plate, she noticed two other things she thought she'd never see again being stuck on the island. One was a mug and a still-steaming carafe filled with the freshest coffee she had ever smelled, while the other was a sitting on the nearest side table: A large crystal vase, brimming over with pink roses. There had to be more than two dozen of the blossoms, interspersed with baby's breath and there, sticking out of the top was a small card.

Kate frowned. She had to be dreaming now. This was far too surreal for it not to be. She quickly strode over to the roses, ignoring her stomach as it growled when she passed the food, and picked up the card. Her eyes scanned the words, reading over the pristine handwriting once, twice, and even a third time, the message never making any sense the more she read it.

_Katherine,_

_Please accept my sincerest apologies for your prior living arrangements. I hope this room is suited more to your liking. _

_Make yourself at home. _

_Regards, _

_Ben_

Kate dropped the note on the table. Who the hell was Ben and why was he apologising? Feeling her legs wobble again, Kate sat down abruptly on the sofa, sinking into the overstuffed cushions as far as she could go. The overwhelming panic that was welling up inside of her was soon pushed away when attention was brought back to the coffee and fruit on the table. 

Without giving it a second thought, she reached for a slice of apple, popping it into her mouth, her eyes rolling back at the sweetness of it. It seemed like it had been forever since she had fruit that wasn't mango or banana. She reached for another slice and paused, hand over a piece of orange when she noticed them: Strawberries. Bright and red and Kate thought she might actually die from the sight. This was better than chocolate. Passing over the orange, she grabbed a strawberry and shoved it into her mouth, the stem sticking out passed her lips.

With a content sigh, she reached for the mug and filled nearly to the top with coffee, saving the rest of the room for cream. Taking a sip of coffee, she wrinkled her nose. It was decaf. She dipped a strawberry into the cup of cream and nibbled on the fruit as she poured more cream into the mug.

Leaning back into the sofa, Kate allowed herself to relax. She reasoned it was okay, if only for a minute. She didn't know when she would be able to feel this normal again.

She'd nearly devoured the whole fruit platter and the coffee was long gone when a door shut loudly beyond the walls of her room. Kate stilled, a piece of pineapple halfway to her mouth and she glanced at the main door to her room, noticing now for the first time that it didn't match the rest of the room. Where every other door in the suite was wood, this was a metal door, heavy and without a handle, just like her old cell.

Kate frowned as the handle jiggled and it sounded as if a padlock was being clicked open on the other side. Muffled voices made their way through the door and Kate jumped up off the couch when she recognised Tom's deep southern accent. She was partway to the bedroom when the door swung open and Juliet came in, a black plastic case in hand. Spinning around to face her visitors, Kate tried not to look too relieved when it looked like Tom was staying outside, shutting the door behind Juliet.

Juliet's eyes were wide as she took in Kate's slightly panicked state. "Hi Kate." She said with a small, uneasy smile. "You okay?" Setting the case down on the coffee table, she kept her eyes on her patient.

Kate nodded slowly. "I, uh... You caught me off guard..." She scratched her head and rocked back on her feet, feeling awkward with Juliet in the room.

"Oh," Juliet's smile widened. "I'm sorry. I'll knock next time, or something." She chuckled and glanced at the door. "I just wanted to check up on you. See how you're doing..."

Kate turned and walked back into the bedroom, not inviting the other woman to follow. Juliet stood by the coffee table. Kate sat down on the bed and watched her.

"I see you liked the fruit and coffee." Juliet pointed at what was leftover before looking up towards the roses. "And you read Ben's card." She nodded and glanced over at Kate, walking into the bedroom as she spoke. "He chose the pink roses. I didn't think you were a pink girl, but he insisted..." She chuckled again, feeling awkward at how one-sided this conversation was turning out to be. "He can be a bit over-dramatic at times. Sorry."

Kate nodded and pursed her lips. She was trying hard to focus her energy on the carpet and not pounding the hell out of Juliet at the moment, and it was getting increasingly hard with her talking.

"I'm sorry," Kate broke her eye contact with the carpet and glared at Juliet. "Why are you here?"

Juliet looked taken back at Kate's harsh tone. She obviously hadn't expected such a reaction for her niceties. "I just wanted to introduce myself and apologise in person. Welcome you in. If that's okay with you." She said the last part carefully, watching Kate for any other backlash.

Kate just shrugged letting Juliet continue.

"I'm Jul-"

"Juliet. I know. I heard when you were _torturing_ me." Kate crossed her arms over her chest; suddenly feeling very exposed in her nightgown.

Juliet pressed her lips together. "We weren't torturing you, Kate."

"You were torturing Sawyer."

Juliet kept silent, not being able to deny that. A few moments of silence passed and Juliet sighed and stood up. "You look cold. Have you been in there yet?" She asked, pointing to another door which could only have been the bathroom. When Kate didn't say anything, Juliet took that as a 'no' and motioned for the younger woman to follow her.

Kate did reluctantly at first, but as she walked into the bathroom she forgot about being upset with the blonde and focussed on how inviting the shower was looking right now. Out of the corner of her eye, Kate saw Juliet shake her head.

"Not this," She waved her hand to another wood door beyond the shower. "This." She said, opening the door and revealing a nice sized walk in closet. On one side, a few dresses hung from plastic hangers and comfortable looking sandals sat underneath. On the other side, a full-length mirror, and opposite the door, big comfy chair and Kate could barely keep from gasping, a picture window. Kate brought a hand up over her mouth as she walked the five feet to pull back the curtains and look out.

A welcoming view of the ocean greeted her, waves rolling in, the white crests crashing on the rocky shore twenty yards from their building. In the distance, the sun was climbing just above the horizon, painting the sky a fiery orange. To Kate, her best guess, it looked as it they were a few stories up, maybe four or five. She shook her head, dragging her eyes away from her view and looking at Juliet. "How..."

Juliet shrugged and stepped away from the wall where she had been leaning. "We knew you liked the ocean. Gave you the best view we had."

"But the rest of the... there's no windows." Kate frowned.

"This side's the only one with a good view. You wouldn't want to see the other sides, anyway. It's just jungle." Juliet smiled reassuringly, waving her off.

Turning her gaze back to the window, Kate took a deep breath, watching the constant motion of the waves collapsing against each other. All she wanted was to be back home, on the beach with everyone. It was funny, but she never remembered being this homesick for Iowa. Then again, she didn't really have a family in Iowa, not like she did here and now. Her chest tightened and she bit down on her lip to keep from crying, and steadied her breathing with a frustrated sigh. It seemed like all she ever did lately was cry.

Juliet cleared her throat from where she stood at the door to the closet. "Well, you can have a shower, get cleaned up. All of these are in your size," she pointed at the clothes. "If there's anything you need or want, let one of us know... Just relax, Kate. We're going to take good care of you."

"Why?" Kate mumbled, not looking at her captor, never taking her eyes off the ocean.

"Why?" Juliet repeated. "Because you're special, Kate. We didn't think... we actually thought that Cla-" she stopped short when Kate did finally turn to look at her. "It's just... we feel it's important to take care of you." She offered a smile, but Kate shook her head, not hearing it.

"Why me?" Kate set her jaw, wanting as many answers as she had questions from this woman. "Why us? Why here and now and... Why am I here and where are they? Where's Jack and Sawyer?"

Juliet just gave her a sad smile. "I can't tell you any of that, I'm sorry." She said eventually, looking genuinely apologetic when Kate burst into tears and pushed passed her back into the bedroom.

Juliet followed to find Kate on the bed, head in her hands. Her sobs had subsided and now the brunette was silent. "Get out." She growled, not looking up.

Juliet winced again. "I can't," she said and held up her hands when Kate glared. "Not yet, I need to take some more blood from you,"

Kate closed her eyes, feeling a headache already starting to form behind her eyes. "More? You already took blood from me?"

"Yes," Juliet went back into the sitting room to retrieve her case. When she came back into the bedroom, she set the case on the bed, opening it. "You don't remember? We took four vials..."

Kate looked stricken. "When? I don't remember..."

"It's okay, just a side effect of one of the drugs we gave you." She explained in the most comforting tone as possible, as difficult as that was. Juliet sat on the bed next to Kate and grabbing a syringe out of the case, she attached it to a vial, setting it aside. "Hold out your arm." She pulled a strip of rubber tubing out and moved to grab Kate's arm.

"_Drugs_?" Kate repeated, pulling her arm out of reach.

"It's nothing, really, Kate. Just a few sedatives, that's all." Juliet reached for Kate's arm again, this time grabbing it. "Just to keep you calm, relaxed."

"A few?" Kate asked.

Juliet nodded, ignoring Kate's obvious tone. "Close your hand into a fist."

Kate squeezed her hand shut, now knowing why she lost all energy to resist. "Why do you need my blood?" When Juliet looked at her, Kate sighed. "Right, can't tell me." She looked away as Juliet prepped her arm with alcohol.

After a while, Kate felt the tubing loosen on her arm and Juliet sighed. "Alright, all done." She pressed a cotton ball against the inside of Kate's elbow.

Juliet was carefully placing everything back in the case, including four more vials of blood when Kate looked back. "I didn't even feel that." Kate said absently, looking down at the vials with her name printed on them.

Juliet slid the used syringe into a biohazard-marked bag and winked. "Well, among other things, I am a doctor."

"Other things?" Kate echoed, suddenly feeling light-headed.

With a smile, Juliet stood up. "I'll see you later, Kate."

Kate nodded, lying back on the bed, too weak to move any further. She wondered if giving Juliet four vials was too much. A few seconds later, she heard the heavy front door open and close. Sighing, she stretched out, happy to be alone again. All Kate wanted to do, now that Juliet was gone, was take a long, hot shower.

And she decided she would, as soon as the room stopped spinning.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

Steam clouded the bathroom as Kate shut the water off and stepped out of the shower, letting the glass door slam behind her. She wrapped herself in a towel and walked over to the counter, careful not to slip on the marble floors.

Wiping a spot on the mirror, she took a good look at herself for the first time in almost a week. Rubbing her hands over her eyes and down her cheeks, her fingers stilled over the bright pink scar on her neck. The mark stood out, harsh against the contrast of her skin. She winced, forcing herself to stop looking at it by covering the blemish with her hand. Ignoring that, she still didn't look any better. Dark circles were painfully apparent under her eyes, standing out even more by her pale skin. One week of no sunlight was enough to make her look like she was anemic. Kate leaned in closer and felt a pang of sadness when she noticed her freckles had faded along with her tan.

Looking around the counter top, she noticed a new toothbrush and an unopened tube of toothpaste, a comb, and a few hair elastics. Saying a little prayer of thanks, she wrapped one of the ties around her wrist and started to pull the comb through her tangle of curls; a tedious task seeing how long her hair was getting. When she was finished, she pulled her hair up into a loose bun at the crown of her head and brushed her teeth.

A few minutes later, Kate made her way into the walk-in closet, dragging her eyes from the window to the clothes they had left for her. They were all pastel dresses and cardigans and she scoffed at the idea of having to wear them, but decided it was better than a towel or her old dirty clothes. Settling on a yellow sundress, she slid her feet into the sandals and walked back out into the bedroom.

When she noticed the bookshelf, she was shocked at first that she hadn't noticed it sooner. It was filled completely with books, all except one shelf. A relatively new CD player sat on the middle shelf, a few CDs were scattered next to it, and as Kate stepped closer, she had a funny feeling she'd know them all.

Patsy Cline's _Greatest Hits_ and Joni Mitchell's _Blue_ were sitting on top of the player while some more recent looking CDs were piled up beside the speakers. Kate flipped through them, a sick feeling passing over her when she realised they were all her favourites. Just how much did these people know about her?

She chose not to dwell on it much and concentrated on just having something to listen to, take her mind off of things. She put in an older U2 album, she abandoned the bookshelf, knowing that she would probably find among other familiar novels, _The Wizard of Oz_ and _The Talented Mr. Ripley_. She didn't need to see them right now to know they were there.

Exploring the rest of the suite, she found it relatively void of any other personality bedsides hers. To her disappointment, she didn't find a television or a computer, but she did manage to find a pen and notebook, three votive candles with matches, cherry Blistex and a deck of cards.

The half-eaten platter of fruit was still there, sitting on the coffee table, along with the carafe and mug. She pushed them aside and sat down on the sofa, setting up a game of Solitaire, deciding she had nothing better to do anyway.

Four games won, eight lost and an hour later, Kate was absently shuffling the cards in her hands, staring into space when a knock came at the door. A second later, it opened and Alex poked her head into the room, smiling when she saw Kate.

"Oh good! You're awake. I thought you might be sleeping," She stepped into the room when Kate smiled. "You sleep a lot."

"I do, don't I?" Kate tilted her head, finding herself happy to see Alex. "How are you?"

Alex nodded and Kate noticed that the younger girl was holding something behind her back. "I'm good. You?" She asked, not stopping to let Kate answer. "Oh! I brought you something!" She held up a bag and set it down on the table. "Dinner. I figured you'd be hungry."

Kate went for the bag, opening it and peering inside. A small, pink Tupperware container had been tossed in, along with a bottle of water, a fork and more strawberries. "It's just rice and chicken and some... vegetables of the green variety. I'm not too sure which. Juliet made it." Alex shrugged and sat down next to Kate on the sofa, landing with all but an ounce of grace.

Kate started to unpack the bag. "Juliet does everything around here huh?"

"Not really, no." Alex shook her head, not hearing the teasing tone in Kate's voice.

Opening the container, Kate looked up at Alex. "Did you eat yet?" The teen shook her head slowly. "You don't mind if I...?" She trailed off, looking down at her dinner.

Alex jumped up off the couch. "Oh, I'm sorry! Yeah, no, go ahead. I'll just... go." She turned to leave but Kate stopped her.

"No, Alex, stay. Please? Here," she grabbed the bag of strawberries and handed them to Alex when the girl reluctantly sat down again. "We can share."

Alex looked at the berries a long moment before taking them. "Thanks. I didn't mean to..."

Kate waved, shaking her head. "Don't worry. I like the company." She smiled and took a bite of the chicken. "Well, just yours actually."

Alex sounded a bit relieved. "And your boyfriend's, right?"

Kate choked on a mouthful of rice. "What?"

Alex handed her the bottle of water, opening the lid for her. "Your boyfriend, Jack. He is your... right?"

Kate shook her head. "Uh... I guess." She said after a long pause. "I just never thought of him... that way..."

Alex nodded, understanding. "I have a boyfriend. Kinda..."

Kate brought a forkful of bok-choy to her lips and tried not to notice that Alex was now giving her a funny look.

"I like your dress..." The younger girl said suddenly changing the topic, a hint of sadness creeping into her voice.

"Thanks..." Kate smiled; unsure of what she was getting at.

Alex nodded before focussing her attention on the strawberries. "It was mine."

"Oh I'm sorry, I didn't know..."

Alex raised a hand. "No, no. It's okay. It looks better on you anyway." She grinned and took a bite of strawberry.

Kate cleared her throat, deciding to bring the conversation back to familiar, less uncomfortable ground. "So you have a boyfriend?"

"Kinda." Alex shrugged.

"Kinda." Kate repeated, trying to prompt the teen.

"His name is Karl... He was on your plane. He's cute," She smiled, staring into her hand. "I bring him fruit." She told Kate matter-of-fact.

"Karl?" Kate asked, taking a sip of water. She shook her head. "I don't remember him-"

"He was in the back end of the plane." Alex explained, still smiling. "He's really cute."

Kate set aside the empty container, leaving the fork inside. "Are you dating him?" She queried, picking up a berry and popping it into her mouth.

Alex frowned. "Ben doesn't really like him..."

"Ben?" Kate repeated the name, still confused as to who Ben was. She didn't get a chance to ask before Alex switched subjects again.

"Do you miss him?" She asked earnestly. Her blue eyes were wide with curiosity. Relationships with boys seemed to be a new thing for Alex, as did relationships in general and Kate wondered what could be the harm in indulging the poor girl.

"Jack? Yeah." Kate bit her lip, thinking about how fast their relationship had progressed over the last few days. She always had a feeling about Jack, like she knew something would eventually happen between them. She just didn't think it would happen so soon.

Alex sat back in the sofa, making her more comfortable. "And James? You miss him too?"

"James?" Kate echoed. "Who's that now?" She asked, her brow furrowed in thought. All these people with new names. She didn't think she could keep up.

"Oh!" Alex snapped her fingers. "The blondish one. Your friend. Long hair? Funny accent like Tom's? I always forget his other name."

Kate's mouth made an 'O' shape as she caught on. "You mean Sawyer? Where'd you get James from?"

"That's his name." Alex raised an eyebrow at Kate. "James Ford. I dunno why you guys call him Sawyer."

Suddenly everything clicked, and Kate remembered the letter and Mr. Sawyer. She chuckled, amused by the fact that Sawyer didn't even tell her that his real name was James. James Ford. She tested the name on her tongue as Alex watched her, a look of uneasiness on her face. "You didn't know his name?"

Kate shrugged. "Never really came up. I've only known him for three months," she reminded not only Alex, but herself as well.

Silence settled over the pair, and albeit a comfortable silence, Kate still felt the need to keep talking. "You see them? My friends?"

Alex nodded. "Why?"

"Well, how are they?"

"Good. Sawyer's doing good... since yesterday. Better anyway. They brought him back looking pretty wrecked. They didn't tell me what happened." Alex frowned and Kate kept silent, knowing the reason why. "And Jack's still the same. I brought him dinner before I came up here. He's good. Missing you, I bet."

Kate smiled at the last part. Alex was trying her best to comfort her. Suddenly, Kate had an idea.

"You see him? Jack? Deliver his food." Kate jumped up off the couch, rushing over to the bedroom to get the pen off the night table.

Alex was nodding when she came back into the room. "Why?"

"Can you give him something for me?" She asked, grabbing a napkin off of the fruit platter.

Alex's eyes widened and she bit down on her lip. "I dunno about that Kate... If I get caught..."

"You won't," Kate assured her, scribbling a note down on the napkin. "Just slip this to him with his food. No one will notice. And if they do, who cares? It's just a note. Blame it on me." She shrugged, finishing off her little message. She paused at the last line, not knowing how to sign it. She settled for a simple 'K' and left it at that.

Alex was looking into her hands again when Kate dropped the paper into her lap.

"Please?" She asked the younger girl, a hopeful, pleading look on her face. She didn't know what Alex was so worried about now, when a few days ago she was practically corning Kate in the bathroom with her escape plan.

Alex sighed. "Okay... but I can't get caught with this." She waved the napkin in front of Kate's face. "Okay?"

"Okay. Thank you." Kate moved to hug the girl and paused before deciding it would be okay. Alex was caught off guard and made a small squeak as Kate wrapped her up in a hug.

Alex stood up abruptly after Kate let go, pocketing the note. She picked up all the leftovers from their dinner, piling it as well as the carafe and the mug on the fruit platter. Kate tried to help, but Alex was too quick and before she knew it, she was already by the door, balancing the plate on her hip and turning the knob.

"Thanks for the strawberries, Kate. See you tomorrow." She waved with her free hand before closing the door behind her.

"Bye." Kate smiled at the closed door. Frowning, she glanced up to the ceiling and took a quick look around. There were no cameras, not like she thought there would be, like in her old room. So why was Alex so afraid of someone finding out?

Jack had been dozing when the lock on the door slid clicked on the other side. The heavy weight of the door made it creak in its frame as it was being pushed open and the noise startled him awake. Stifling a yawn, he stood up and blinked a few times to see who it was. Alex was holding the door open with her foot, a small grin on her face as she held out her hands.

"Breakfast," She offered as he took the brown paper bag out of her hands. "I'll be back in a while to _get the_ _garbage_." She spun on her heels and all but slammed the door behind her, leaving Jack to shake his head at her, confused but her weird behaviour. She did emphasise those last few words on purpose, didn't she?

Jack sighed and sat down against the wall where he had been sleeping before. He didn't really care much what went on now anyway, he couldn't find the energy to care. The last day had seemed to drag on without Kate there and he could only imagine it would get worse the longer and longer she was away.

Putting down his breakfast, Jack sat down the rest of the way, his back hitting the wall behind him. Reaching his hand into the bag he grabbed the muffin inside, his hand brushing against what felt like a pen. Frowning, he tipped the bag upside down. Sure enough, a pen fell out onto his lap followed by a small, square napkin. Looking more closely, he felt himself smile when he saw what was written in hasty yet distinctly feminine handwriting.

_I'm okay. _

_They moved me to my own room. Don't worry._

_Miss you._

_-K_

When Alex returned just like she said she would a twenty minutes later, Jack handed her back the paper bag folded up in a neat square.

"Thanks... uhm... Alex?" He asked, testing her name.

"Yeah?" She turned back to him before got to the door.

With a smile, Jack rubbed his jaw and laughed a bit, not believing what he was about to ask. "Could you do me a favour?"


End file.
